Stone stairways
Broad and low.
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Dungur is the ruin of a large building from the Kingdom of Aksum, on an open plain west of the town. You see low walls of stacked stone, rooms packed side by side, broad stone stairways and stone-slab floors, with farmland and hills around. The building dates from the 7th century AD, when Axum was the kingdom's capital. Only its lowest levels and podium survive, covering about 3,250 square metres, and a double staircase once led to the entrance. Locals call it the Queen of Sheba's Palace, but excavation dates it long after her time, and scholars see it as the mansion of one of the city's elite. It is part of the Aksum UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed in 1980. You walk among the rooms and passages and climb the stairs to see the whole plan from above. Across the road lies a small stelae field traditionally linked to Queen Gudit. It is about 2 km in a straight line west of central Axum. There is no shade on the site, so go in the morning and bring water and a hat. 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.
Broad and low.
Seen from above.
Across the road.
Western Axum, Tigray region
That is its popular name; it dates from the 7th century.
In the morning, before the heat.
