![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Description_needed._%252827167570040%2529.jpg/640px-Description_needed._%252827167570040%2529.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Axum
Town in Tigray Region, Ethiopia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the modern town. For the ancient empire named after it, see Aksumite Empire.
For other uses, see Axum (disambiguation).
Axum, also spelled Aksum (pronounced: /ˈɑːkˈsuːm/ ⓘ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015).[2] It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire.[3]
Quick Facts Country, Region ...
Axum
| |
---|---|
City | |
From top to bottom, left to right: skyline of Axum, Northern Stelae Park, Chapel of the Tablet at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, Abba Pantelewon, farmlands in Axum, ruins of Dungur. | |
Coordinates: 14°7′15″N 38°43′40″E | |
Country | ![]() |
Region | ![]() |
Zone | Central |
Elevation | 2,131 m (6,991 ft) |
Population (2022)[1] | |
• Total | 94,515 |
Criteria | Cultural: i, iv |
Reference | 15 |
Inscription | 1980 (4th Session) |
Close
Axum is located in the Central Zone of the Tigray Region, near the base of the Adwa mountains. It has an elevation of 2,131 metres (6,991 feet) and is surrounded by La'ilay Maychew, a separately administered woreda of the Tigray region.
In 1980, UNESCO added Axum's archaeological sites to its list of World Heritage Sites due to their historic value. Prior to the beginning of the Tigray War in 2020, Axum was a leading tourist destination for foreign visitors.[4]