AKSUM AND ITS OUTSKIRTS
Themed routes can be explored, each one of which offers a different aspects of the thousands of years of culture that are embodied in the present. Routes intersect reiterate in places, encouraging the visitor to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the city, while becoming comfortable with exploring beyond. The surrounding villages, towns and individual endowments enrich the experience gained within the city, allowing an aspiration of a pre-industrial fanning culture and exposure to extraordinary landscapes, flora and birdlife for which the Tigray is renowned.
- St. Mary of Zion church, oldest Christian church on the African continent
The visitor is encouraged to spend several nights in the city and to use it as a base from which to explore Aksum and its surroundings, returning in the evenings to appreciate some of the cultural dimensions of Aksum and its inhabitants. Four mutes have been choreographed in the Aksum town center. The routes are each designed to keep the visitor occupied for a full or half-day. There are also extra day trips to explore the outskirts of Aksum, and further afield within 100 km radius.
Historical Places in Aksum
The Aksumite route introduces the visitor to the significance of the city as the centre of one of the four great Empires of the early 1st millennium AD. This is epitomized in the tablets inscribed in Greek and the local Sabaean and Ge'ez scripts describing the activities of its emperors, the monumental granite stelae and the extensive tombs, some of which have yielded grave goods that are testament to the luxury artefacts traded from China to Spain. The visitor should ideally set aside a full day to best appreciate this walking tour. It is best started in the early morning with a long lunch break, with the tour of stelae resuming in the later afternoon.
Religious Sites in Aksum
Aksum's importance, as the first place in the world to adopt Christianity as the State religion, is presented in the Religious route. Celebrating present day rituals, the route begins by retracing the path of the Timket procession, circulating around the Cathedral Precinct, then taking in the more important of religious endowments of city.
Myth & Legend
The legend of Makda, Queen of Sheba, and her son, Menelik I, the first Solomonic king of Aksum, is the theme of the mute that takes the visitor to the sites associated with these personalities, and up in to the part of the city where the oldest habitation has been discovered.
Old town & Places
Existing building types and craft practices in Aksum have remained unchanged for centuries. The visitor is taken on a winding route through the Old City to engage with craftspeople, and enjoy a traditional coffee ceremony and ethnographic museums. The route is best experienced on foot, allowing the visitor to explore, stop for refreshment and engage with shopkeepers and craftsmen, to absorb the unique atmosphere. This route can be started at any time of the day.
Axum and its Surrounding
A day trip can be organized to endowments on the immediate surroundings of Aksum. Visitor will have a chance to explore important endowments including the tombs of Kaleb and his son Gebre Masqal, the Ezana inscription, the Quarry in Gobodra, Bête Giorgis, Adi Tsehafl and Abune Penteleon.
Within 100 kilometers radius of Aksum, wealth of endowments are available to the visitors ranging from nature based trips to see spectacular landscape to sites of battles both recent and earlier. Religious Endowments abound, most famous of which are the Temple at Yeha, the monastery of Debre-Damo and rock-hewn churches in Tembien.
Day trip to Yeha
The village of Yeha is the site of one of the centers of the Sabaean Civilization that extended through much of Ethiopia and in to Southern Arabia, including modern day Yemen. One of the most imposing masonry structures of this culture, the 8th century BC Temple of the Moon, has walling that is largely intact up to roof level, giving a sense of the grandeur and sophistication that has a precursor to the Aksumite Empire. The motor trip takes the better part of a day, but may be combined with one of the other trips in the Adwa locality.
Day trip to Debre-Damo Monastery
Debre-Damo Monastery is one of the oldest churches in the world that has been in continuous use since its founding. The whole of the monastic village on the summit of an Imba is barred to women, including female animals. The trip takes an entire day, passing through the spectacular landscape of the Adwa Mountains.
- Debre-Damo Monastery
The Adwa range of mountains lying to the north of Aksum, create a natural barrier between the coastal plains reaching to the ancient port of Adulis and the highlands. Since the 6th century, these mountains have served to protect the sovereignty of Aksum and Tigray.
Rock-hewn churches
Despite the repute of Lalibela, Tigray is home to the greatest number of rock-cut churches in East Africa. Closest to Aksum are the Rock-hewn Church of Maryam Wukro in Nebelet, and Aba Yohanni, Gebriel Wukien and Mariam Hibiito of Tembien.
WUKRO AND ITS OUTSKIRTS
Wukro is a convenient base from which to explore a number of rock-hewn churches. It is connected by regular transport with Adi-grat, Mekelle and intermediate points.
Rock-hewm churches and the first Muslim settlement
Wukro Cherkos, the most accessible rock-hewn church, Abreha we Atsbeha which has a painstakingly decorated interior, Negash, the site of the first Muslim settlement in Africa, Medhane Alem Adi-kesho, the most impressive for its size and complex architecture, Petros and Paulos with its fascinatingly primitive paintings of Angels & Saints, Mikael Milihay Zengi with a beautifully decorated dome, are the most interesting sites.
Rock-hewn churches in Atsbi
Mikael Barka, the very atmospheric rock- hewn church, Mikael Imba, the most impressive rock- hewn church, Mikael Debre Selam with its Aksumite sandwich architectural style, Cherkos Agobo & Zarema Giorigs, well known for their Aksumite freezes, are the most interesting sites.
Overnight: Atsbi /Wukro/
GHERALTA AND ITS OUTSKIRTS
This tour offers journey through unforgettable land scape and the region's famous rock- hewn churches.
Hawzien: Rock-hewn churches and scenic mountains
The most interesting church of Yohannes Maequddi, Debre tsion (Abune Abrham) which is one of the great churches in terms of both architectural & devotional aspects and Selassie Degum are among other sites to be explored.
Abune Yemata (Guh), that is spectacularly situated on a pinnacle, Mariam Korkor, Abune Gebre Mikael, thier features vibrant frescoes and carefully carved columns, pillars, cupolas and arches decorated with amazing ancient paintings and Debre Mariam Korkor is one of the biggest and most complex rock-hewn churches of Tigray are the sites to be visited. Giorgis Maikado, Mariam Bahra a church at the bottom of the cliff, Mariam Buzhan a combination of a cave & hewn structure, Eyesus Guahgot, well known for its decorative designs, are also among the sites sites to be visited.
Overnight: Hawzien
Edaga Hamus: rock-hewn churches
Arbaetu Ensesa, Gebriel Tslalmeo, Old cave paintings of Edaga Hamus and Welwalo Cherkos are the most interesting sites.
Overnight: Edaga Hamus
Gundagundo: monasteries and scenic mountains tour
The aging Monastery of Debre Gerizan Mariam Gundagundo, its time honored parchments, crosses and crowns as well as the spectacular landscape of the site.
Overnight: at the monastery
Adigrat: rock-hewn churches and scenic mountains
Mariam Kiat, one of the finest carved in rock — hewn church with its stone cap, ancient paintings, silver and silver crosses as well as many descriptive manuscripts.
Overnight: Adigrat/Mekelle
Top attractions in Mekelle:
Mekelle, the capital city of the Tigray, provides standard services in its star level hotels, restaurants, international airport, tour operators, supermarkets, souvenir shops, and a collection of sites. The city can also serve as a starting point for the trip in Tigray. Tours can be arranged from the city to visit several nearby rock-hewn churches. It is also a good vantage point from which to witness the camel caravans from the forbidding Danakil Depression.
Atse Yohannes IV Museum, Hawelti (Martyrs' monument) typical cultural houses of Tigrai (hidmo), Monday market and salt market, Italian Cemetery of Endayesus, Romanat & Chelanqua water falls.
Raya Azebo sight-seeing indudes:
This tour gives you a chance to see more of culture & nature. The forest covered cliff of Girakahisu, Lake Hashenge with its variety of birds, the Archaeological site of Mifsas Bahri which bears finely hewn pillars resembling the Aksumite architectures, Holla water fall and its rare white color pigeons, Higumbrda forest with different types of fauna and flora, colorful market days in Alamata, Maichew and Korem(people with cultural dressing & hair style) are the should not be missed experiences in this cluster.