About This Destination
The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion (Mariam Tsion) in Axum is the most sacred site in Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity. According to Ethiopian tradition, this is where the Ark of the Covenant has been kept for nearly 3,000 years, brought to Ethiopia by Menelik I, the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
The church compound contains multiple buildings spanning different eras. The original church, believed to have been built in the 4th century by King Ezana, was destroyed and rebuilt several times. The current Old Cathedral dates to the 17th century, while a new cathedral was built in the 1960s by Emperor Haile Selassie.
The small Treasury Chapel, guarded by a single monk who never leaves the compound, is said to house the Ark. Only the Guardian of the Ark may see it, making this one of the world's most mysterious religious sites. The annual Timkat (Epiphany) celebration here draws thousands of pilgrims from across Ethiopia.