St. Mary of Zion
St. Mary of Zion ( Amharic አክሱም ጽዮን , Re-ese Adbarat Kidiste Kidusan Dingel Maryam Ts'iyon ) is the oldest and most important church building in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church .
The church is located in the city of Axum in the Ethiopian region of Tigray .
history
It is believed that the original church was built during the reign of Ezana , the first Christian emperor of the Aksumite Empire , in the 4th century. The original Aksumite-style cathedral encompassed the entire base to which the outside staircase leads.
Since its inception, the church has been destroyed and rebuilt at least twice. In its current form in the early Gonder style, it was built under Negus Fasilides (1632–1667). Only men were allowed into the church.
In 1950, Emperor Haile Selassie built a new modern church next to the old one, which is open to both men and women.
Ark of the Covenant
According to the belief of the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, one of the most important Biblical artifacts , the real Ark of the Covenant, is kept in the chapel next to the main church of St. Mary of Zion . According to tradition, she came to Ethiopia with Menelik I after he had visited his father, King Solomon .
Old cathedral, main facade
Old cathedral, interior
Old cathedral, paintings
chapel
Dome and bell tower of the new church
Web links
Coordinates: 14 ° 7 ′ 49 ″ N , 38 ° 43 ′ 10 ″ E