Old Church of St Mary of Zion

The rectangular, men-only old church at the southern end of the complex of churches here is a remarkable example of traditional architecture built by the Emperor Fasiladas, the founder of Gonder, in 1665. Inside there are fine original murals, including a painting of the Nine Saints. Some say the foundation on which it sits may belong to Africa’s first church, supposedly erected by King Ezana in the 4th century and destroyed in the 9th century during Queen Gudit’s devastating raid.

A rebuilt version was destroyed during the incursions of Ahmed Gragn the Left-Handed in 1535, and some remains lie just south of the museum.

Also of historical interest, at the top of the stairs in front of the old church, is the Throne Stone where the coronation of 261 Aksumite kings took place.

��ϲʼ�ʱ��'s must-see attractions

Northern Stelae Field
0.2 MILES
Despite the dizzying grandeur of the numerous rock needles reaching for the stars, it’s what’s under your feet here that’s most important. Amazingly,…
Abba Pentalewon
1.39 MILES
High above Aksum, on top of a tall, narrow peak, is Abba Pentalewon monastery. Tradition states it was built by Abba Pentalewon, one of the Nine Saints…
Ark of the Covenant Chapel
0.02 MILES
In between the old and new St Mary of Zion churches is the real reason for most people’s devotion: a tiny, carefully guarded chapel that houses what most…
St Mary of Zion Churches Complex
0.04 MILES
Though religions have come and gone, Aksum has always remained a holy city – welcome to the centre of the universe for Christian Ethiopians. A church of…
Arabtu Ensessa Church
0.13 MILES
The ‘Four Beasts’ Church, named after the writers of the Biblical Gospels, was rebuilt in the 1950s and is worth a look for the wonderful murals (most…
Gobodura Hill
2.66 MILES
A site known as Wuchate Golo is one of Aksum's four ancient quarries, the birthplace of the famous stelae. Several stelae (all unmarked) were almost…
King Bazen's Tomb
0.57 MILES
Despite being the crudest of tombs, roughly hewn into solid rock instead of constructed with fine masonry, this place has a slightly magical feel…
King Ezana's Inscription
0.58 MILES
On the way up to the tombs of Kings Kaleb and Gebre Meskel, you’ll pass a small shack containing a remarkable find that three farmers stumbled upon in…

View more attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Ark of the Covenant Chapel

0.02 MILES

In between the old and new St Mary of Zion churches is the real reason for most people’s devotion: a tiny, carefully guarded chapel that houses what most…

2. Throne Stone

0.03 MILES

At the top of the stairs in front of the old St Mary of Zion Church is the Throne Stone where the coronation of 261 Aksumite kings took place.

3. St Mary of Zion Churches Complex

0.04 MILES

Though religions have come and gone, Aksum has always remained a holy city – welcome to the centre of the universe for Christian Ethiopians. A church of…

4. St Mary of Zion Church Museum

0.04 MILES

The museum inside the St Mary of Zion Church complex contains an impressive haul of treasure, including an unsurpassed collection of former Ethiopian…

5. New Church of St Mary of Zion

0.06 MILES

The huge new church of St Mary of Zion was built in the 1960s so women had a place to worship and it displays Haile Selassie’s usual hideous taste. Still…

6. Arabtu Ensessa Church

0.13 MILES

The ‘Four Beasts’ Church, named after the writers of the Biblical Gospels, was rebuilt in the 1950s and is worth a look for the wonderful murals (most…

7. Da'Ero Ela Fig Tree

0.15 MILES

On the first seven days of each month (according to the Ethiopian calendar), St Mary of Zion’s replica Ark (the original replica) is paraded through the…

8. Archaeological Museum

0.2 MILES

This well-laid-out museum inside the Northern Stelae Field contains an interesting variety of objects found in the tombs, ranging from ordinary household…

View more attractions

������ϲʼ�ʱ����

������ϲʼ�ʱ����'s must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

��ϲʼ�ʱ��

��ϲʼ�ʱ��'s must-see attractions