Axum was the center of the marine trading power known as the Aksumite Kingdom, which predated the earliest mentions in Roman era writings. Axum trade consisted of the following: Trade in Aksum was done using Aksum coinage as currency to exchange values for goods and services. This doctrine of unequal exchange eventually led to the collapse of Aksum Empire. Axum or Aksum (/ˈæksuːm/; Tigrinya: ኣኽሱም; Ge'ez: አኵስም Ak̠ʷsəm; Amharic: አክሱም Ak̠sum, is a historical town in Tigray Region, Ethiopia and the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire. In 300AD, the Axum overthrew the Meroe kingdom rulers and became the center of commerce and trade in Northeast Africa. The Aksumite Empire was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from about 400 BCE into the 10th century. Axum, an ancient Ethiopian city, once rivaled Persia and Rome in wealth and influence. As immigrants from southwestern Arabia crossed the Red Sea into present-day Eritrea and mixed with the Cushitic population. New languages like Ge’ez were formed as a result of the union. The Kingdom lasted from 100 to 940AD. The Aksum military did great exploits and were known throughout the world to use iron tools spears and shields in battle. It has been the official tongue of Ethiopia since the 14th Century AD. The origins of the Amharic language are traced back to the 1st millennium B.C. •Ethiopia: area of 1.12 million square Kilometers (slightly less than twice the size of Texas), is located at 4 and 14 degree north, 33 and 48 degrees east. Axum is the oldest city in Ethiopia (it was the ancient capital) and is the holiest city of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The article covers the prehistory and history of Ethiopia from its emergence as an empire under the Aksumites to its current form as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia as well as the history of other areas in what is now Ethiopia such as the Afar Triangle.The Ethiopian Empire (Abyssinia) was first founded by Ethiopian people in the Ethiopian Highlands. The town is magical in our opinion. [ʷə]ʷiʷaʷeʷə This demonstrates how linguistically rich Africa is. Djibouti. Axum treasures the ancient Ethiopian history. ( Log Out /  Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Once Amharic was spread it still kept the orthography of the classic language. It existed between the 1st Century A.D. and the 6 th Century A.D. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Axum dates back to the 1st century AD and saw its heyday in the 4th-7th centuries. The Axum’s center of trade was the seaport at Adulis which was at the Red Sea. Amharic (አማርኛ) It was a tourist town until the Tigray Conflict started in November 2020 with a population of 66,800 residents (as of 2015). Day 10: the birth Place of Ethiopian History. Axum is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Ethiopia, its highlights include: Stories say that the queen went to see Solomon in Jerusalem after hearing of his wisdom and when she was there he was enthralled by her beauty and after they slept together the Queen of S… Ethiopian Amharic lays at the end of the fragmentation belt and exemplifies the characteristics of other languages on the fragmentation belt. On the way, the 5 th century B.C, Pre-Christian Temple of Yeha, and overlook the Adwa escarpment. When the power base of Ethiopia shifted from Axum to Amhara between the 10th Century A.D. and the 12th Century A.D., the use of the Amharic language spread its influence, hence becoming the national language. Although the Ethiopians claim to possess the Ark of the Covenant, no one has been allowed to see it. It is known for its historical and pre-historic relics. You could also encounter some major cities, bustling full of people. ( Log Out /  Linguists may also use history to see the affects it has on the evolution or extinction of a language. In the heart of what is now Ethiopia, you may find jungles, rivers and quite possibly some monkeys. Ancient Bible in Amharic language in the UNESCO monastery Ura Kidane Meret, Zege Amhara Region, Ethiopia. Their military strategy also included the use of animals such as elephants to literally crush their enemies and were victorious in many battles. Obelisk Of Axum (16 Min) Ancient Royal Monument Once Claimed In War & Moved To Italy, Repatriated To Ethiopia In 2005. Most Amharic speakers also speak English, Afaan Oromo, Tigrinya and Arabic. ”Amharic which is the official language of Ethiopia has more than three thousand years of history. The gigantic Aksum Cathedral. Hotel accommodation in and around Axum can best be described as 3-star, but on saying that the beds and the rooms are clean. ( Log Out /  Drive from Hawzein /Wukro to- Axum. Historians use linguistics to follow the evolution of language in a particular area or to follow how it has traveled a spread throughout many different areas. The Axumite empire stretched from West Africa to the Mediterranean and across to the Indian Ocean. When the power base of Ethiopia shifted from Axum to Amhara between the 10th Century A.D. and the 12th Century A.D., the use of the Amharic language spread its influence, hence becoming the national language. For example the Ethiopian orthography, Ge’ez. The Amharic language spread its influence when the Ethiopian Empire shifted its base from Axum to Amhara around 11th Century A.D. Genetic and historical are discussed. The Adulis spoke Greek and traded in Alexandria. Ethiopia along with the Amharic language is said to be descendants of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. In 300AD, the Axum overthrew the Meroe kingdom rulers and became the center of commerce and trade in Northeast Africa. The ruins of the ancient city of Aksum are found close to Ethiopia's northern border on the heart of ancient Ethiopia was once the capital of Ethiopia. [ə]uiaeə The empire collapsed with the rise of Islam, as Muslim merchants closed off the Axum Empire trading routes across the Red Sea. The Axum had a language Geez used in present day Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox churches. The early form of Ge’ez was written in boustrophedon, which is writing in alternate lines in opposite directions, as from left to right and then from right to left on the next line, and then left to right on the next line, and so on. Change ). [ɨ], ∅oʷä This union resulted in the birth of Ge’ez (ግዕዝ), which is the language of the Axum Empire of Northern Ethiopia. The African nation's historic route begins in the ancient city of Axum, which dates to about 100 B.C. When the power base of Ethiopia shifted from Axum to Amhara between the 10th Century A.D. and the 12th Century A.D., the use of the Amharic language spread its influence, hence becoming the … When the power base of Ethiopia shifted from Axum to Amhara between the 10th Century A.D. and the 12th Century A.D., the use of the Amharic language spread its influence,” writes Amharic.com. [ʷɨ]hሀሁሂሃሄህሆ lለሉሊላሌልሎ ሏ hሐሑሒሓሔሕሖ ሗ mመሙሚማሜምሞ ሟ sሠሡሢሣሤሥሦ ሧ rረሩሪራሬርሮ ሯ sሰሱሲሳሴስሶ ሷ šሸሹሺሻሼሽሾ ሿ qቀቁቂቃቄቅቆቈቊቋቌቍbበቡቢባቤብቦ ቧ vቨቩቪቫቬቭቮ ቯ tተቱቲታቴትቶ ቷ čቸቹቺቻቼችቾ ቿ hኀኁኂኃኄኅኆኈኊኋኌኍnነኑኒናኔንኖ ኗ ñኘኙኚኛኜኝኞ ኟ ʾአኡኢኣኤእኦ ኧ kከኩኪካኬክኮኰኲኳኴኵhኸኹኺኻኼኽኾ wወዉዊዋዌውዎ ʾዐዑዒዓዔዕዖ zዘዙዚዛዜዝዞ ዟ žዠዡዢዣዤዥዦ ዧ yየዩዪያዬይዮ dደዱዲዳዴድዶ ዷ ǧጀጁጂጃጄጅጆ ጇ gገጉጊጋጌግጎጐጒጓጔጕṭጠጡጢጣጤጥጦ ጧ č̣ጨጩጪጫጬጭጮ ጯ p̣ጰጱጲጳጴጵጶ ጷ ṣጸጹጺጻጼጽጾ ጿ ṣፀፁፂፃፄፅፆ fፈፉፊፋፌፍፎ ፏ pፐፑፒፓፔፕፖ ፗ  ä [ə]uiaeə Close by is the Church of Our Lady Maria of Zion where the Ark of the Covenant is supposedly kept (red circle). [ʷɨ]. Amharic is heavily influenced by Cushitic languages which are prominent in surrounding countries i.e. The Axum controlled their own currency and minted their own currency which gave them protection over their own economic affairs. It existed between the 1st Century A.D. and the 6th Century A.D. According to the Old Test ament, The Queen of Sheba was born in Axum, but travelled to Israel to meet King Solomon. Ge’ez was the classical language of the Axum Empire of Northern Ethiopia. It was here that the Kingdom of Axum flourished from 100 to 940 CE, as they were aware of their strategic location in the trade route between the Roman Empire and India. Sunrise landscape around historical city of Axum, Simien Mountains National Park In Northern Ethiopia Explore the city of Axum. This was the language of the empire prior to the Amhara empire. 12 – 14 July 2011 My ride north through the highlands of Ethiopia lead me to the historical city of Axum. Axum is also home to many religious shrines, and hundreds of religious festivals every year. The Axumite empire stretched from West Africa to the Mediterranean and across to the Indian Ocean. ä Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. In 1980, UNESCO added Axum's archaeological sites to … Although the Queen of Sheba lived centuries before the kingdom of Aksum, its kings of the Solomonic Dynasty traced their routes to the famous queen and King Solomon of Israel . A cultural profile of the Amhara (Amara) people. Ethiopian legends state that Axum, the capital city of the empire, was the home of the Queen of Sheba . Axum lies in the northern province of Tigre, the cradle of Ethiopian culture. It is smaller than you might expect and rather inauspicious on first impression, but it does boast some stunning antiquities. [ɨ], ∅oʷä The origins of the langauge are traced back to the 1st millennium B.C. The Amharic language is an Afro-Asiatic language belonging to the Southwest Semitic group. Axum is the ancient kingdom that flourished in northeastern Africa from the 1 st century BC until the early 7 th century AD. The Amhara people are an ancient Semitic people living mostly in Ethiopia. አክሱም - Amharic: Ancient capital of the Abyssinian Empire since the 2nd century A.D. Axum lies in the province of Tigrea near the base of the Adwa Mountains, at an elevation of 2130 meters. 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The dominant religion among them is the Ethiopian Coptic (Orthodox) Christian Church, though some are Muslim. At its apogee (3rd–6th century ce), Aksum became the Ejectives in Amharic are an example of how languages travel across the fragmentation belt and how languages are influenced by each other. Ge’ez took 24 symbols from the Sabean writing system. It existed between the 1st Century A.D. and the 6th Century A.D. It was a trade hub through which precious metals, silks and ideas fueled a thriving economy and vibrant culture. It is arguably the only African language which has its own letters and features. They are also said to have the biblical Ark of the Covenant. The Ge’ez alphabet is what is used for written Amharic. “This union resulted in the birth of Ge’ez (ግዕዝ), which is the language of the Axum Empire of Northern Ethiopia. The fragmentation belt represents the linguistic diversity present in Africa. This capital city was the first place in Ethiopia to adopt a new religion -- Christianity. New languages formed as a result of this union,e.g., Ge’ez. Ancient History, Monument, And History. Many aspects of Amharic can be traced back to other languages. The Adulis spoke Greek and traded in Alexandria. Axum’s glory … Continue reading Ethiopia, Part 6: Historical Axum and Mountainous Twisties Right from the 20th century when Ethiopia’s Amharic was made the official language by Emperor Haile Selassie, it has been seen as one of a kind in Africa. Amharic possesses many of the language qualities from the Axum Empire. when immigrants from southwest- ern Arabia crossed the Read Sea into present-day Eritrea and mixed with the Cushitic population. Aksum, powerful kingdom in northern Ethiopia during the early Christian era. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! History Of Wine Mystery Of History Historical Artifacts Ancient Artifacts Historical Landmarks Ancient Aliens Ancient History Statues History Facts Tri-Lingual Stone, Axum Stone with writing in three languages commemorating an Axumite victory over the neighbouring Eritreans. Aksum was regarded as one of the superpowers of its time together with Persia, China and Rome. The Axum’s center of trade was the seaport at Adulis which was at the Red Sea. The Town Of Axumis more than just ancient ruins and churches, Axum has a feeling of a small rural town with heart and friendliness. 2/3 of the languages spoken in Africa are spoken in the fragmentation belt. It lies about 150 km south of Asmara and a similar distance from the Red Sea coast. Ge’ez was the classical language of the Axum Empire of Northern Ethiopia. And of course, you might always stumble across a ( Log Out /  It is related to Geʿez, the sacred literary language of the Ethiopian Orthodox church, an ancient religion that took root in the Aksum Empire in the 4th–5th century and affirmed a miaphysite doctrine. Aksum traders travelled to India and China exporting ivory, gold and emerald wheat, barley in exchange for silk and spices. A series of fair-minded Ethiopian Kings offered peoples of many faiths to find sanctuary from threats abroad, and for centuries Christians, Muslims and Jews have shared Axum in peace. It is important to know that though the Axum were descendants of Arabs they were Christian and not Muslim. It existed between the 1st Century A.D. and the 6th Century A.D. The Town Of Axum. Aksum coins had a cross to reflect their Christian faith and demonstrate its central role in society. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. It was once the centre of a great civilisation, the Aksumite Kingdom, which stretched from southern Egypt to the Gulf of Aden (including territory in southern Arabia), south to the Omo River, and west to the Kushite Kingdom of Meroë. [ʷə]ʷiʷaʷeʷə Despite common belief to the contrary, Aksum did not originate from one of the Semitic Sabaean kingdoms of southern Arabia but instead developed as a local power. Overnight - at current best hotel -Axum. It is believed that the Aksum had the 10 commandments written on stone tablets. SOME AMHARIC SOURCES FOR MODERN ETHIOPIAN HISTORY, 1889-19351 By PETER P. GARRETSON (WITH NOTES BY RICHARD PANKHURST) Emperor Menelik's reign (1889-1913) opens a new era in the kind of sources that the historian has at his disposal for the analysis of modern Ethiopian history. The Kingdom of Axum /Aksum was an ancient kingdom in present day Ethiopia and Eritrea.The Axum or Aksum as they were known were a group that descended from indigenous Africans and Arabian settlers who settled in Africa. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Most live in isolated rural mountain areas, where life is hard and droughts are common. Amharic possesses many of the language qualities from the Axum Empire. Linguists use history to also follow the evolution and interactions of languages. Spears and shields in battle close by is the Church of Our Lady Maria of Zion where Ark. Indian Ocean profile of the Amhara people are an example of how languages influenced. Religious shrines, and overlook the Adwa escarpment the Old Test ament, the Axum had a language it... Of commerce and trade in Northeast Africa 2/3 of the Empire collapsed with the of! Log in: You are commenting using your Facebook account, rivers and quite some... 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