Tour Itinerary- Ethiopia to Djibouti Tour Itinerary- Historic Northern Route HISTORICAL SITES Axum It was the capital of the Axumite Kingdom, and the city of the legendary Queen of Sheba, believed to have lived in the 10th century B.C. The power and influence of the kingdom had stretched to the eastern littorals of the Red Sea. Among the relics of that famous empire are the monolithic obelisks or the stelae, the mystery of whose origin and symbolism has yet to be unravelled. Age and neglect had led to the fall of the largest of the seven stelae. Once towering 33 metres and weighing 500 tonnes, it was the world's largest monolithic stelae. The second largest of the group, 24 meters high, which had also fallen was taken to Italy as Mussolini's war booty. The largest of the still standing stelae, 23 metres high, stands on a limestone platform. At the base of each standing stela is a stone altar, where sacrifices are believed to have been offered to the gods. Legend has it that Menelik I, the son of Queen of Sheba and King Solomon of Jerusalem brought the Ark of the Covenant 3000 years ago to Axum.It is believed to be in safekeeping in the towns sanctuary chapel into which no entry is allowed. The true whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant in which the tablets or scrolls of the Jewish law were said to have been kept, still remains a mystery. The Church of St. Mary of Zion is one of the pilgrimage centres of Ethiopia. Followers of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church from all over the country converge on Axum once a year on the 30th of November to adore the Virgin Mary.There are two churches of the same name. The old church of St. Mary of Zion was built in the mid-17th century by Emperor Fasiledes, the founder of Gondar. Invaluable works of art and the crowns of the Ethiopian emperors are kept here. The new St. Mary of Zion put up in nearby site was dedicated by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1965. Just outside the city on the road to Gondar lies the ruin of Queen of Shebas palace, also known as Taakha Maryam. Several stairwalls on the still intact stone floor suggest that the palace was at least a one-storey building of imposing beauty. The sophisticated design of the private bathing areas and the well-preserved kitchen point to the bygone glory of the palace attributed to that famous Queen. Debre Damo monastery Debre Damo monastery is one of the oldest monasteries in Ethiopia. Built on an amba (an inaccessibly steep, flat-topped hill) in the early centuries of the Axumite Kingdom, Debre Damo is the earliest and a completely intact church in Ethiopia. Its inaccessibility was responsible to the preservation of the church building and its invaluable treasures throughout the 1400 years the monastery has been in existence. The monastery is said to have been founded by Abune Aregawi, a Syrian monk and one of the nine saints who expanded Christianity to Ethiopia. An uphill walk of two gruelling hours ends at the foot of a cliff vertically towering 24 metres. A clamber to the flat top, where the monastery is built, is possible only with the help of a rope, which the monks lower to every authorized visitor. Women are not allowed into Debre Damo.   Tours. Continued Rainbow Exclusive Car Rental & Tour Services Tel 251-11-5-51-37-55 Fax 251-11-5-51-52-44 E-mail     rainbot@ethionet.et  rainbowtours@ethionet.et