Axum is both the name of an Empire and a city, the root of the Axumite Empire was the proto Axumite civilization flourished between 2000 – 1000 B.C By about 1000 BC the synthesis of proto- Axumite civilization and immigrants from south Arabia resulted in the emergence of Axumite Empire and civilization that flourished until 10th century AD.
The city of Axum had been the capital of the Axumite Empire. The significance of the city lies in its historic places and monuments. There are ancient obelisks and pre Christian places which attesting at a high level of advancement in art and architecture. The finest of these obelisks, more commonly referred as “stelae” stand in the so-called, “park of stelae”. Here there are many giant obelisks carved from solid granite.