Axum Travel Guide

 
by DAO
 
  •   Axum
    by DAO
  •   Axum
    by DAO
  •   Axum
    by DAO
  •   Axum
    by DAO
  •   Axum
    by DAO
 

Explore Axum

Things to Do  

Guide to Aksum

Guide to Aksum, Axum

 bbahn Says:  I recommend a great guide to Axum: it's the Guide to Aksum and Yeha just published in 2009 by Arada Books (they have the website aradabooks.com): a very nice balance between history and travelling. Congratulations to the author Gian Paolo Chiari! 

THE BIG ONE

THE BIG ONE, Axum

 DAO Says:  You are looking at the largest, tallest and last Stelae ever built by the Axumite Empire (4th century BC to the 8th century AD). The Kings of Axum built the stelae between 100 BC to 300 AD to mark the burial place of kings and for religious ceremonies. Some of the stelae... 

EXCHANGE MONEY

EXCHANGE MONEY, Axum

 DAO Says:  There are 2 full service banks on the main street in Axum. They are:• Commercial Bank (first picture)Open 8am-11am & 1pm-3pm M-F, 8-11am Saturday Offers Western Union and Bureau de Change services• Wegagen Bank (2nd picture)Open 8am-4pm M-S Offers Bureau de Change services... 

BUY THE KIDS A BALL

BUY THE KIDS A BALL, Axum

 DAO Says:  Make a small difference. Many children play and stand around in the main street because they have nothing to do. If you want to help and give them weeks of entertainment, then stop into a shop and buy them a good soccer ball. They cost 25 Birr or about $4. Please find... 

THE CHURCH ON THE HILL

THE CHURCH ON THE HILL, Axum

 DAO Says:  The Monastery of Abba Pentalewon (varied spellings) is set high on a hill you see on the road from the airport to town. In fact, it dominates the landscape. It’s a bit for accessible at the back, but is set on an impossibly steep hill. Before Christianity (around the year... 

ST MARY OF ZION CHURCH

ST MARY OF ZION CHURCH, Axum

 DAO Says:  The Church of St Mary of Zion was built around 1635 by Emperor Fasilidas and is today a very large complex containing everything from the Ark of the Covenant, golden crowns of the kings of Axum, goat skin bibles that were hand drawn hundreds of years ago and some really nice... 

INTERNET ACCESS

INTERNET ACCESS, Axum

 DAO Says:  Axum is a quiet and sleep town full of historical treasures in the middle of nowhere. That doesn’t mean you have to loose touch with the outside world. There are now a good handful of internet places in Axum and they are very cheap by European standards. Expect slow speeds.... 

Restaurants  

TSEGA: IT'S OK

TSEGA: IT'S OK, Axum

 DAO Says:  This place stays busy and is listed in a few guide books. It’s OK. Not bad, not great, just good. The service is good and the food is made fresh, so expect to wait. They serve cold beers and have a large menu. Prices are average by Ethiopian standards, which makes it cheap... 

ABINET HOTEL: GET HIGH !

ABINET HOTEL: GET HIGH !, Axum

 DAO Says:  Located at the top of the Abinet Hotel. Basic furnishing but a fantastic menu, staff and food! They also have a TV that is on with music or local news. The menu has some Faranji (foreigner) items like spaghetti. The real treat is that they serve every major Ethiopian food... 

Transportation  

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES

ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES, Axum

 DAO Says:  The easiest and quickest way to get here is by domestic flights with Ethiopian Airlines. Axum has 1 flight a day and can connect you to Addis Ababa and the other northern historical cities of Lalibela, Gonder and Bahr Dar. You can fly return or one-way for just a little over... 

AXUM AIRPORT

AXUM AIRPORT, Axum

 DAO Says:  HELLO!You are looking at a tip I have not added content to yet. If you need information about this now, please email me and I will update it immediately. Thank you for your patience.DAO 

Shopping  

LOCAL MARKET: BUY A CHICKEN

LOCAL MARKET: BUY A CHICKEN, Axum

 DAO Says:  If you want to buy a chicken, it will cost you about 25-30 Birr ($5-6). This may seem expensive, but they leg eggs and eat anything. Just pick them up by their legs and carry them upside down. They don’t move around when you do that.The main market and animal market... 

SOUVENIRS AT THE MUSEUM

SOUVENIRS AT THE MUSEUM, Axum

 DAO Says:  Just outside the Museum is a souvenir craft market. A bit more souvenir than traditional handicrafts, but they all look nice. You can buy brightly coloured woven mats and baskets for your injera. Prices start high because it’s exclusively for tourists. You need to haggle a... 

Local Customs  

DO NOT PUT YOUR NAPKIN ON THE PLATE!

DO NOT PUT YOUR NAPKIN ON THE PLATE!, Axum

 DAO Says:  After you have finished your meal you may, out of habit, place your napkin on your plate. Do not do it here! If there is any food left, the restaurant will give this to poor people after they close. If you put the napkin on it – they won’t. It is a really hard habit to... 

THE UN

THE UN, Axum

 DAO Says:  HELLO!You are looking a tip I have not added content to yet. If you need information about this now, please email me and I will update it immediately. Thank you for your patience.DAO 

Tourist Traps  

LEATHER BIBLE TRICK

LEATHER BIBLE TRICK, Axum

 DAO Says:  HELLO!You are looking at a tip I have not added content to yet. If you need information about this now, please email me and I will update it immediately. Thank you for your patience.DAO 

What to Pack  

WET WIPES

WET WIPES, Axum

 DAO Says:   Why should babies be the only ones to have these hygienic wipes? I don’t know why, but the adult version of this fantastic travel product always seem to be more expensive than the kids version, even though what’s inside is exactly the same. You need to use your right hand... 

TOILETRIES & COSMETICS

TOILETRIES & COSMETICS, Axum

 DAO Says:   Axum does not have a health & beauty shop. On top of that there is a 100% import tax on all goods from outside Ethiopia. Lalibela gets most of its goods overland from Addis Ababa, increasing the price. Finding women’s hygiene products and things like deodorants is not... 

Off The Beaten Path  

Visit Debra Damo monastry

Visit Debra Damo monastry, Axum

 orix Says:  About 3 hours drive from Axum is this isolated mountain-top monastery and church. The only way up is by climbing a rope 26 meter up a cliff. There is help pulling you when you get up or down but still at 2800m high you need to have some basic fitness (and nerve) to do this.... 

Favorites  

THE COMMANDER

THE COMMANDER, Axum

 DAO Says:  Across town you will see several depictions of the military commander of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (1975-1991). During the rule of the Communist DERG the Tigray people were brutally repressed, imprisoned and murdered in great numbers. They also had famine... 

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Map of Axum