Stele. In the background, the dome of the New Church of Saint Mary of Zion ( Ethiopia)

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"For as long as 5000 years, monoliths have been used in northeast Africa as tombstones and monuments to local rulers. In Aksum, this tradition reached its apogee. Like Egypt's pyramids, Aksum's stelae were like great billboards announcing to the world the authority, power and greatness of the ruling families. Aksum's stelae are striking for their huge size, their incredible state of preservation and their curiously modern look."

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Size: 4256px × 2832px
Location: Aksum ( Ethiopia)
Photo credit: © Franck METOIS / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: africa, african, aksum, archeology, architecture, church, eastern, ethiopia, heritage, history, mary, monolith, monument, orthodox, saint, site, stele, tigray, unesco, world, zion