Aksum


World Heritage Identification Number: 15

World Heritage since: 1980

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇪🇹 Ethiopia

Continent: Africa

UNESCO World Region: Africa

Map

Aksum: The Ancient Capital of the Aksumite Empire

Aksum, located in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, serves as a testament to the rich history and cultural significance of one of Africa's oldest civilizations. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980, the ruins of this ancient city offer a glimpse into the power and influence that the Kingdom of Aksum held during its prime.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The ruins of the ancient city of Aksum are found close to Ethiopia's northern border. They mark the location of the heart of ancient Ethiopia, when the Kingdom of Aksum was the most powerful state between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia. The massive ruins, dating from between the 1st and the 13th century A.D., include monolithic obelisks, giant stelae, royal tombs and the ruins of ancient castles. Long after its political decline in the 10th century, Ethiopian emperors continued to be crowned in Aksum.

Encyclopedia Record: Axum

Axum, also spelled Aksum, is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents. It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire.

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Additional Site Details

Area: Not available

UNESCO Criteria: (i) — Masterpiece of human creative genius
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: 14.13019 , 38.71861

Image

Image of Aksum

© A.Savin, FAL Resized from original.

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Simien National Park
127 km — Ethiopia
Asmara: A Modernist African City
136 km — Eritrea
Fasil Ghebbi, Gondar Region
217 km — Ethiopia
Rock-Hewn Churches, Lalibela
236 km — Ethiopia
Lower Valley of the Awash
393 km — Ethiopia

Country Information: Ethiopia

Flag of Ethiopia

Official Name: Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

Capital: Addis Ababa

Continent: Africa

Population (2024): 132,059,767

Population (2023): 128,691,692

Population (2022): 125,384,287

Land Area: 1,128,570 sq km

Currency: Ethiopian birr (ETB)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Aksum are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Axum, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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