The old church
Crenellated walls.
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The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum is regarded as the holiest church of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The compound holds the old church, a rectangular stone building with crenellated walls, the new church with its large dome, and a small chapel between them. The first church is believed to have been built under Ezana, the first Christian ruler of the Kingdom of Aksum, in the 4th century. It was destroyed and rebuilt more than once: Emperor Gelawdewos rebuilt it in the 16th century, and Fasilides enlarged it in the 17th. Tradition holds that the Ark of the Covenant is kept in the Chapel of the Tablet, seen by no one but a guardian monk. You visit the old and new churches and the square between them, close to the famous stelae field. Women may not enter the old church but can visit the new church and the rest of the compound. It is about 1 km in a straight line from central Axum. Dress modestly and take off your shoes to enter. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all travel to the Tigray region, and access may not be possible, so check official guidance before making any plans.
Crenellated walls.
Under a large dome.
From outside.
Near the stelae field, Axum, Tigray region
The new church yes, the old one no.
No, only the guardian monk sees it.
