Historic Aksum, in northern Ethiopia, was once the capital of a mighty kingdom. On the site of two previous religious buildings, its ancient cathedral was last rebuilt in 1665. Thrones constructed of stone have witnessed the coronation of various monarchs whose Ethiopian Orthodox faith spread far and wide.

Aksum is also referred to as Ethiopian Rome, capital of the oldest Christian kingdom in the world, the largest outside the Roman Empire.

In the small chapel next to the cathedral a monk is said to protect the Ark Of The Covenant, the true sanctuary of Ethiopia. It is believed to contain the tables of the ten commandments which God sent to Moses.

On today's western periphery of Dongur lie the ruins of a relatively modest complex.popularly known as the Palace Of The Queen Of Sheba. The bible states that the legendary Queen of the South visited King Solomon in Jerusalem in order for him to teach her the Jewish faith.

Although little remains of the former capital of the Aksumitic kingdom, Ethiopia's holiest site, it continues to be a place of mystery and legend.