Axum Obelisk

Axum Obelisk

The powerful state of Axum was ranked by Persian philosopher and historian main as one of the four great kingdoms of the ancient world along with Persian, Rome and china.

• The tallest and oldest man-made obelisk in the world is the fallen obelisk in Axum. It is 33 meter high and weighs 500 tons.
• The second largest obelisk the same area, a solid block of granite like stone 24 meter high and weighing more than 120 tons was taken by the Italians to Rome in 1937.
• It was returned from Rome to Axum in April 2005 and re-erected to its original site in August, 2008.
• This obelisk made history by being the only mammoth stone to be moved between two continents (Europe and Africa).
• The third largest obelisk which is 23 meters high still stands in Axum.