Axum (አክሱም, also spelt Aksum) is a city of 56,000 in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, just south of Eritrea, with which it shares the language of Tigrinya. It was for nearly 800 years the administrative centre of one of the great empires of the old world along with those of Rome, Persia and China and remains the ecclesiastical capital of the Ethiopian church.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Bajaj (blue, three-wheeler motorised rickshaws with 250cc two-stroke engines imported from India) charge tourists about 20 birr for short trips around town. For the Lioness of Gobodra and the Judith (Gudit) Stelae Field, instead of hiring one of the ultra-expensive tourist minibuses, you can catch a minibus going in the direction of Shire (there are many early in the morning) and ask them to drop you at the Lioness of Gobodra turnoff and catch another one back. The Lioness is not easy to find on your own but a group of children will soon appear who will guide you, and they should be compensated appropriately.
An combined archaeological ticket costs 300 birr (May 2019). Tickets are available from the tourist commission off the roundabout 400 m south of the Northern Stelae Field is valid for three days. 1 Northern Stelae Field. Northern Stelae Field contains numerous stelae, including the fallen Giant Stele and the standing Ezana Stele and Obelisk of Axum, tombs and a very worthwhile museum. The monolithic stelae are fashioned out of solid granite. Their mystery lies in that it is not known exactly by whom and for what purpose they were fashioned, although they were likely associated with burials of great emperors.
According to the sign by the fig tree near the churches complex, a replica Ark of the Covenant is paraded on the first seven days of each month according to the Ethiopian calendar, at 21:00. This means 03:00 by the standard clock. Other sources say 05:00 but nothing was happening at 05:00 GMT+3 on 3 May 2019. Even if you don't get to see the Ark of the Covenant just sitting under the fig tree is a must do activity.
AB Restaurant, ☏ +251 912 955 022. 06:00 until 22:00. Close to Ethiopian Airlines office. Serves traditional dishes, with dancing on Saturday nights. Africa Hotel (see the Sleep section below) has a large, clean restaurant where a steak club sandwich with lettuce and tomato together with chips cost 30 birr in June 2013. Traditional and other "international" dishes are also served and their bar has a large screen LCD TV if you want to watch some soccer or the manic, shoulder-shaking style of the local dances. Pizza Restaurant, turn north one block east of the Africa Hotel into the street that leads to the Remhai Hotel and this small place is on the right of the street.
Underground near the Ambassador Hotel on the west side of town. Large selection of imported spirits. Zebra also near the Ambassador Hotel, stays open until about 03:00. Reasonable prices for drinks with a Dashen or St George beer costing 20 birr and popular with the ladies. DJ and dancing every night. Yeha Hotel is a great place to have a few drinks. The terrace overlooks the Northern Stelae filed. The views are so good the locals come here for their wedding photos.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Axum typically sees ~23°C daytime highs and 27 rainy days.
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