Aksum, << AHK soom, >> also spelled Axum, was a powerful ancient kingdom in East Africa. It occupied lands that are now Eritrea, northern Ethiopia, and parts of Sudan and Djibouti. At times, it also occupied parts of southwest Arabia. Aksum was the ancestor of Ethiopia. The kingdom’s capital, also called Aksum, stood on the site of what is now the town of Aksum, Ethiopia. The kingdom became important about A.D. 50 and reached its greatest strength between the 300’s and 600’s.
Aksum grew rich and powerful in part because of Adulis, its port on the Red Sea. Adulis was a world trading center near what is now Massawa, Eritrea. Spices, ivory, ebony, animal skins, and tortoise shells were exported from Adulis in exchange for textiles, precious metal objects, wine, and olive oil. These imports came principally from Egypt and the Mediterranean area. Aksum’s trade network also included Arabia and India and may have stretched as far as China.
At its peak, Aksum conquered other kingdoms along the Red Sea and the Blue Nile River. Aksumite kings built impressive fortresses, palaces, and granite monuments. During the 300’s, King Ezana conquered the kingdom of Kush in what is now Sudan. Ezana also made Christianity the state religion of Aksum.
During the 600’s, Muslim conquests in Arabia and Egypt and along the Red Sea and east African coasts ended Aksum’s role as a trading power. Islam, the religion of the Muslims, spread rapidly in Arabia and North Africa. As a result, the Christians of Aksum found themselves surrounded by Muslims and other non-Christians. From the 600’s to about the 900’s, the Aksumites fought the Muslims. Aksum lost power and territory. However, aspects of Aksum’s culture, particularly its Christian faith, survive today in Eritrea and Ethiopia. The ruins and monuments of Aksum’s capital can still be seen in the present-day town of Aksum.
