Axum

Axum is a city in northern Ethiopia. It was the center of the Axumite Kingdom, which emerged around the time of the birth of Jesus Christ and declined in the 12th century with the rise of the southern Ethiopian kingdom.

The kingdom had their own written language called Ge'ez, and also developed its own style of architecture (such as the Obelisk of Axum). The kingdom was at its height under king Ezana in 300 A.D. when it was influenced by Christianity.

The Ethiopian Orthodox Church in Axum claims to possess the Ark of the Covenant. According to tradition, Menelik I brought it to Ethiopia after visiting his father King Solomon.

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