Axum

Axum Tigrinya: ኣኽሱም     Amharic: አክሱም    Ge’ez: አኵስም
City
From top to bottom, left to right: skyline of Axum, Northern Stelae Park, Chapel of the Tablet at the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, Abba Pantelewon, farmlands in Axum, ruins of Dungur.
Axum Location within Ethiopia Show map of Ethiopia Axum Location within Africa Show map of Africa
Coordinates: 14°7′15″N 38°43′40″E / 14.12083°N 38.72778°E / 14.12083; 38.72778
Country	Ethiopia
Region	Tigray
Zone	Central
Elevation	2,131 m (6,991 ft)
Population  (2022)[1]
• Total	94,515
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Criteria	Cultural: i, iv
Reference	15
Inscription	1980 (4th Session)

Axum, also spelled Aksum (pronounced: /ˈɑːkˈsuːm/ ^ⓘ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015).^[2] It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire.^[3]

Axum is located in the Central Zone of the Tigray Region, near the base of the Adwa mountains. It has an elevation of 2,131 metres (6,991 feet) and is surrounded by La'ilay Maychew, a separately administered woreda of the Tigray region.

In 1980, UNESCO added Axum's archaeological sites to its list of World Heritage Sites due to their historic value. Prior to the beginning of the Tigray War in 2020, Axum was a leading tourist destination for foreign visitors.^[4]