The Kingdom Of Aksum: The Askumite Empire

Throughout history, there have been many misconceptions about the continent of Africa. Due to racist narratives perpetuated by Europeans, Africa is widely seen as impoverished and desolate, devoid of history and civilization. However, those who have been properly educated know that Africa has a rich history full of many different cultures. What we are taught about early African civilization is generally restricted to Egypt. However, there have been many other powerful African civilizations that have significantly impacted the world. In this essay, I will write about the Kingdom of Aksum. The Kingdom of Aksum was a powerful empire located in modern-day Ethiopia, which existed from approximately 100 to 940 A.D (New World Encyclopedia). Although there is popular belief that Aksum was founded by Semetic-speaking Sabaeans from Saudi Arabia, scholars today have confirmed that it developed as a local power. The Askumite Empire rose to prominence through international trade. Aksum was the most important trading nation in north east Africa, exporting agricultural products and goods …show more content…
At the peak of the Askum empire, monumental architecture such as royal palaces and giant obelisks used to mark tombstones and significant buildings were constructed. The kingdom’s most recognized piece of architecture is the Obelisk of Askum. During the 4th century, under the rule of King Enaza, Askum converted from polytheism and Judaism to Christianity. To this day, Christianity is the dominant religion in Ethiopia and many churches have been established, such as the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and the Church of Mary of Zion. It is also believed that Askum is the home of the Ark of the Covenant, a wooden chest containing the two stone tablets of the ten commandments (New World