When the power base of ethiopia shifted from axum to amhara between the 10th century a. Jan 26, 2018 axum, an african civilisation of late antiquity, by stuart munrohay very specifically looks at ancient ethiopian history. The aim of this book is to present a critical outline of current knowledge about the. Axum was the centre of the marine trading power known as the aksumite empire, which predated the earliest mentions in romanera writings. Around the 4th and 7th centuries ad, the axumite kingdom controlled most of what is ethiopia today, including territories in the southern parts of the arabian peninsula.
By the midsecond century bc, axum had developed into a regionally dominant kingdom. Once the capital of the zagwe dynasty, it was renamed from roha to lalibela after a distinguished monarch from the dynasty. Situated in the horn of africa, ethiopia is bordered by eritrea to the north, sudan to the west, kenya to the south, somalia to the east and djibouti to the northeast. The history and legacy of the kingdom of aksum s capital and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in africapaperback. It is one of ethiopias most visited historical cities. Once the seat of the kingdom of aksum, it is now a tourist town and religious centre best known for its antiquities. The 15 best things to do in axum for travel after quarantine. The exploitation of plant resources in ancient africa pp 7 147 cite as. History of northern ethiopia and the establishment of the italian colony or eritrea. The history of axum is interesting since it was in existence at the same time as the egyptian.
Axumite emperors were powerful sovereigns, styling themselves king of kings, king of aksum, himyar, raydan, saba, salhen, tsiyamo, beja and of kush. Aksum is located on a plateau in the far north of ethiopia near the eritrean border. Kingdom of aksum guinness book, roman empire, diagram, culture, education, world guinness. Very little is known of the time period between the midfirst millennium bc to the beginning of aksums flourish, thought to be around the first century ce. According to the book of aksum, aksums first capital, mazaber, was built by itiyopis, son of cush. Axum, an african civilisation of late antiquity, by stuart munrohay very specifically looks at ancient ethiopian history. Foundations of aksumite civilization and its christian legacy. The medieval kingdom of abyssinia was founded by the solomonid dynasty c.
However the first well known kingdom in ethiopia rose in the first century ad. It existed approximately 100940 ad, growing from the iron age protoaksumite period c. Rating is available when the video has been rented. The aksum kingdom is sometimes known as the axumite civilization. Does the ark of the covenant that holds moses 10 commandments reside in a small aksum chapel. Unlike other african countries, ethiopia stayed together during the scramble for africa, except for 5 years when it was ruled by italians. Reflections on the history of the abyssinian orthodox tewahdo church and hearts like birds. Ezana also placed much importance on written documents. Foundations of aksumite civilization and its christian. He was the first monarch of axum to embrace christianity, and the. What is the best book on the ancient history of ethiopia. But there is a tranquility about axum that settles the spirit and opens the soul, and its a wonderful place to encounter ethiopia.
The history and legacy of the kingdom of aksums capital. See more ideas about ethiopia, history and horn of africa. There is no shortage of general books of history on ethiopia, and they nearly invariably cover ancient history as well. On sundays, several cities, including aksum sometimes spelled axum and lalibela see thousandstrong crowds of nuns and monks, hermits and families, energetic children and shuffling grandmothers. What is the best book on the ancient history of ethiopia to. The origins of the axumite state are now dated to the middle of the 2nd century bc. List of books and articles about ethiopian history online. Axum, sometimes spelt as aksum refers to the capital city of an ancient and powerful kingdom that existed during the early christian era in northern ethiopia and is also one of the first major empires that were christian converts after their ruler converted to christianity in around 356a. Around 356 ce, its ruler was converted to christianity by frumentius. Jan 15, 2014 axum is a city in northern ethiopia that is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in africa. Two slave brothers birthed africas oldest state church.
Did the queen of sheba really call the towns dusty streets home. Mar 21, 2019 in the mid4th century ce, nubia formerly known as kush and located in modern sudan, with its capital at meroe, attacked axum from the north or viceversa, perhaps because of a dispute over control of the regions ivory trade. The roots of ethiopian historical writing can be traced back to the ancient kingdom of aksum c. Marys cathedral of aksum providing information on ethiopian history. The capital is addis ababa new flower, located almost at the center of the country. Jan 15, 2014 axum is a city in northern ethiopia that is one of the oldest continuously. Apr, 2019 the kingdom of axum reached its zenith in the third to fifth centuries ad. The kingdom of aksum was a trading empire centered in eritrea and northern ethiopia. These early texts were written in either the ethiopian geez script or the greek alphabet, and included a. People have lived in ethiopia for thousands of years. Foundations of aksumite civilization and its christian legacy 1st. According to the book of aksum itiyoppis built mazaber, the kingdom of aksums first capital.
This book is the story of a ancient city and state centered in ethiopia. The history and legacy of the kingdom of aksums capital and one of the. The local agaw people of northern ethiopia first began to populate and expand the city of axum around 400 bc. The article covers the prehistory and history of ethiopia from its emergence as an empire under the aksumites to its current form as the federal democratic republic of ethiopia as well as the history of other areas in what is now ethiopia such as the afar triangle. Recent excavations at aksum, ethiopia, have produced a substantial assemblage of. The history of the axum empire and ethiopian orthodox tewahedo church. The writing of the kebra nagast, sacred book of the. History of ethiopia project gutenberg selfpublishing. Tall granite obelisks, 126 inches all, stand or lie broken.
How the iron age kingdom of aksum flourished in ethiopia. Axum dates back some 2,000 years to when it was the hub of the axumite empire. This golden age began with the famed king ezana who converted his country to christianity in 324 ad. Ethiopian historiography includes the ancient, medieval, early modern, and modern disciplines of recording the history of ethiopia, including both native and foreign sources. History amharic amharic amharic language in ethiopia. At the height of its power, between the 4th and 7th centuries ad, the axumite kingdom controlled most of presentday ethiopia, including territories. Ethiopian civilization with the axumite kingdom, tour of axum that includ es. African culture, african history, global holidays, baptism of christ. Marcus, harold a history of ethiopia, berkeley 1994. It lies at an elevation of about 7,000 feet 2,100 metres, just west of adwa. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. See more ideas about ethiopia, african history and bible.
The kingdom of aksum article ethiopia khan academy. Unesco international scientific committee for the drafting of a general history of africa. It lies about 150 km south of asmara and a similar distance from the red sea coast. Ethiopia s historic journey is long and many ruins can be seen in the country. The kingdom of axum went in decline from the late 6th century ce, perhaps due to overuse of agricultural land or the incursion of western bedja herders who, forming themselves into small kingdoms, grabbed parts of aksum territory for grazing their cattle and who persistently attacked axums camel caravans.
Aksum was the name of a city and a kingdom which is essentially modernday northern ethiopia tigray province and eritrea. Ancient and medieval ethiopian history to 1270 addis ababa. This gives the history its weak on legacy of ancient sudan and ethiopia starting with menelek reputed son of solomon and the queen of sheba. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading axum. It covers relations with egypt, persia and later rome. Beyond history and the ark of the covenant ethiopia is a country that throbs with religious fervor. Sutherland the kingdom of aksum axum also widely known as the aksumite empire, was an ancient civilization, which developed in one of the oldest continuously inhabited parts of the world ethiopia, to which ancient references can be found in the famous works of homer and herodotus. Ethiopian treasures queen of sheba, aksumite kingdom aksum.
The book derives the name ethiopia from itiyoppis, an otherwise unmentioned son of the biblical cush. Elucidating the linguistic history of the aksumite kingdom during the first. Ethiopia, landlocked country on the horn of africa, the largest and most populous country in that region. Book your tickets online for the top things to do in axum, ethiopia on tripadvisor. The aksumite empire at its height extended across most of presentday eritrea, northern ethiopia, western yemen, southern saudi arabia, and sudan. It relates african to world history with the conquest of egypt by cambysis in 525bc. He traced his ancestry through his father, tasfa iyasus, to dil naod, the last king of axum. The queen of sheba made it her capital years before christ. Stuart munrohay is among the foremost western authorities on ethiopian history and culture. The empire of aksum at its height extended across most of presentday eritrea, northern ethiopia, yemen, southern saudi arabia and northern sudan. Ethiopias history is synonymous with the kingdom of axum whose origin is traced to the middle of the 2nd century bc. Israel, as detailed in the thirteenthcentury kebra negast, the book of the glory of kings.
Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about axum like never before. The history and legacy of the kingdom of aksums capital and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in africa examines the amazing history and legacy of one of the most interesting places in the world. See more ideas about ethiopia, africa and ethiopia travel. Axum is considered to be the holiest city in ethiopia and is an important destination of pilgrimages. Geez was the classical language of the axum empire of northern ethiopia. It is likely that the solomonids saw the kings of zagwe as usurpers, an interruption to the dynasty that had ruled axum, and they gathered the support of antizagwe factions which. Yeha, the countrys preaksumite foundation of ethiopian civilisation, is situated between aksum and adwa in the province of tigray.
The early history of ethiopia also called abyssinia begins with the glorious but little known kingdom of axum. The kingdom of aksum or axum, also known as the aksumite empire was an important trading nation in northeastern africa, ruled from approximately 100940 ad. At the height of its power, between the 4th and 7th centuries ad. Among axums treasures, aside from dozens of obelisks. Later, under the reign of the empreror kaleb, axum was a quasially of byzantium against the sasanian empire which had adopted zoroastrianism. The kebra nagast, the ethiopic national epic written sometime between the sixth and thirteenth centuries, tells a romanticized version of the history of axum from the time of the queen of sheba and her love affair with solomon and the taking of the ark to axum, down to the victories of king kaleb, who reigned in the sixth century ce. Indeed, coins minted under king ezana were the first in the world to feature the image of a cross. Very little is known of the time period between the midfirst millennium bc to the beginning of aksums flourish, thought to. Kushites ruled egypt as the 25th dynasty from 734 to 664 bc. Research shows that aksum was a major naval and trading power from the 1st to the 7th centuries c.
It borders on eritrea in the north, on djibouti in the northeast, on somalia in the east and southeast, on kenya in the south, and on south sudan and sudan in the west. Sacred sites of ethiopia and the arc of the covenant. Lalibela, religious and pilgrimage center, northcentral ethiopia. Aksums foundation is suggested to be as early as 300 bc. By 100 ad a kingdom called axum existed in ethiopia. The exploitation of plant resources in ancient africa pp 7147 cite as. Aksum travel northern ethiopia, ethiopia lonely planet. Mysterious megalithic towering obelisks in ethiopia. The agricultural foundation of the aksumite empire, ethiopia. A history of early twentieth century ethiopia, richard pankhurst, 1997. Aksum also spelled axum or aksoum is the name of a powerful urban iron age kingdom in ethiopia that flourished between the first century bc and the 7th8th centuries ad. Axum the next kingdom, which gradually took over from daamat, was the kingdom of axum aksum, from which modern ethiopia traces its origins. Aksum and the northern horn, bc ad 0 eastern africa seriespaperback axum. A history of ethiopiahardcover foundations of an african civilisation.
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