Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Northern Stelae Field
The Northern Stelae Field is Ethiopia's biggest and most important stelae field. It contains 66 stelae from the 3rd
and 4th centuries AD, though the original number was higher; some have been removed, others may lie buried.
The stelae range from 1m to 33m in height and from simple slabs of stone (the majority) to finely dressed rect-
angular blocks, usually with flat sides and a rounded or conical apex. Though they were undoubtedly connected
with the practice of human burial, it's not yet certain if every stele marks a tomb. The three largest and most fam-
ous stelae (King Ezana's Stele, Great Stele and Rome Stele) are found here; see Click here .
King Ezana's Stele
Although standing slightly off kilter, the magnificent 23m-high, 160-tonne Stele 3 has done something no other
stele of similar stature has done: remained standing (albeit today it's aided by a sling). Henry Salt, the British trav-
eller and first foreigner to describe it in 1805, proclaimed it 'the most admirable and perfect monument of its
kind'. The stone platform at its base is believed to have served as an altar. Within the platform are four foot-deep
cavities, which probably collected blood during sacrificial offerings. It's the oldest of the three and only has
carvings on three sides.
Great Stele
Lying like a broken soldier, the massive 33m Stele 1 , also known locally as King Ramhai's Stele, is believed to be
the largest single block of stone that humans have ever attempted to erect, and overshadows even the Egyptian ob-
elisks in its conception and ambition.
Scholars theorise that it fell during its erection sometime early in the 4th century. Comparing the unworked
'root' (only 2.7m long) with the sleek, carved base and the intricate walia ibex carvings near its top gives you a
vivid idea of the precision, finesse and technical competence of Aksum's stoneworkers.
As it toppled it collided with the massive 360-tonne stone sheltering the central chamber of Nefas Mawcha's
tomb ( Click here ) . This shattered the upper portion of the stele and collapsed the tomb's central chamber, scatter-
ing the massive roof supports like tooth-picks. Seeing that no other stele was ever raised here, it's obvious the col-
lapse sounded the death knell on the long tradition of obelisk erection in Aksum. Some scholars have even sug-
gested that the disaster may have actually contributed to the people's conversion to Christianity. More controver-
sially, some propose it may have been sabotaged deliberately to feign a sign of God. Whatever the origin of its
downfall, the stele remains exactly where it tumbled 1600 years ago, a permanent reminder of the defeat of pagan-
ism by Christianity.
Rome Stele
At 24.6m high and 170 tonnes, Stele 2 is the second-largest stele ever produced at Aksum. Like the Great Stele,
its ornate carvings of multistoreyed windows and doors adorn all four sides. Pillagers raiding the site are believed
to have accidentally caused its collapse sometime between the 10th and 16th centuries. It broke into three pieces
and the cracks are clearly visible.
In 1937, the stele's remains were shipped to Italy on Mussolini's personal orders. On arrival it was reassembled
and raised once more in Rome's Piazza di Porta Capena where it was known as the Aksum Obelisk. It remained in
Rome until 2005, when decades of negotiations were finally victorious over diplomatic feet-dragging. It was re-
turned to Aksum that year and Unesco raised it in 2007, just in time for the Ethiopian millennium celebration. It's
now the most impressive of all the stelae.
Other Stelae
Lying prone between the Mausoleum and Tomb of the False Door is another important stele, albeit unassuming
and unfinished; hence it's known as the unfinished stele . The fact it's unfinished is evidence that the final carving
of stelae was finished on site and not at the quarries.
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