or Axum
Ancient kingdom, northern Ethiopia.
At its apogee (3rd–6th century AD), Aksum merchants traded as far as Alexandria and beyond the Nile River . The modern town of Aksum (pop., 1994: 27,148), once the kingdom's capital, is a religious centre best known for its antiquities. It has long been regarded as a holy city for the Ethiopian Orthodox church ; according to tradition, King Menilek I, son of Solomon and the Queen of Ark of the Covenant there from Jerusalem. Aksum's antiquities have made it a tourist centre.