Located in the Tigre region of northern Ethiopia, the city of Aksum is named after the famous kingdom described in a 2nd-century Greek text as the “Third World Kingdom,” which was known to the Romans at that time.
This capital city is situated along a trade route that dealt in rhinoceros horn, ivory, tortoiseshell, and glass. Aksum retains traces of a glorious past spread over a large area: the massive stelae, the tallest of which (33m) is the largest monolithic obelisk ever carved and erected by humans, 
the stone pillars inscribed with Ethiopian legends, and the royal tombs.
According to legend, one of the tombs is believed to be that of the Queen of Sheba. The western part of the archaeological site features remnants of three ancient castles built in the first millennium AD and an 18th-century ancient tomb, providing valuable evidence of Ethiopian architectural art from that era.
Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980, Aksum is set to undergo restoration as part of an “International Campaign” to preserve and promote Ethiopia’s cultural heritage.
