History of Ethiopia
As a nation, Ethiopia has exited as a country for more than two millennia. The country has a long history, rich in terms of heritage and influences from various kingdoms that existed in the timeline. One such kingdom is the Kingdom of Aksum, also known as the Kingdom of Axum that existed in the present day Ethiopia, Sudan and all the way to Yemen. The influence of this Kingdom is prevalent even to this day in Ethiopia in the form its heritage. If you intend to witness the remains of the Kingdom of Aksum in Ethiopia, you can get your Ethiopian visa at Tourist Visa Online.
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Kingdom of Aksum
The Aksumite Empire is considered to exist from 80 BCE to 960 AD for a period of one thousand years. The rulers of the Aksumite Kingdom were often thought to be the ‘King of Kings’. One of the most defining characteristics of Aksum Kingdom was its role as the fulcrum of the trade relations between Roman Empire and India. The trade was facilitated by means of Aksumite Currency that was minted by the kingdom. Aksumite Empire was a key participant in the politics of the Arabian Peninsula and eventually extended its influence by conquest. Historically, this kingdom was regarded as one of the four major powers of the ancient world the others being Persia, China and Rome.
Trade Foundations
The Kingdom of Axum was founded with its base on trade with the hub of the transactions in Eritrea and northern Ethiopia. The empire existed for around thousand years and was a deeply connected to the trade between India and the Mediterranean that dealt in ivory, gold, emeralds, silk and spices. The kingdom also had a strong Navy which was evident from its firm grip over the Red Sea and the Upper Nile that earned considerable profit.
The Empire is also notable for a lot of other achievements. Aksumites had their own set of Alphabets which was known as the Ge’ez Script. The giant obelisks erected by the Aksumites that marked the tombs of the Emperor, the most famous of which still exists to this day in Ethiopia. The roots of the present day Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church can be traced back to the adoption of Christianity by the Aksumite Kingdom.
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Traces of the Empire
The Empire is still alive in the present day Ethiopia through different forms of heritage such as coins and architecture. The Empire of Axum was one of the first empires in Africa to have its own coinage. Coins made of Gold, Silver and Bronze were minted that bore legends in Ge’ez, which was the original native script of the Empire and in Greek. During the ancient period, minting your own coinage was considered to be an act of great importance and established the kingdom among its neighbours.
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The Fall of Axum
The fall of Kingdom of Aksum began with the Islamic conquest of the Middle East. As the Islamic Empire established its grip over the Red Sea and the Nile, the Aksum was forced in to economic isolation. The neighbours of the Kingdom were taken over by the Islamic conquest. At the onset of the seventh century, the kingdom started its descent eventually ceasing the minting of coinage. To seek protection from the conquerors, the people of the kingdom were forced to move further inland to hide even though the Kingdom still retained its aura of prestige and power.
Today, the Kingdom of Aksum exists in the form of architectural ruins and discoveries. The coins printed in the age of Aksumite Empire are still present in museums in Ethiopia. The architectural ruins strewn across the lands of Ethiopia, the Obelisk of Aksum and several other findings such as vases and water spouts serve as an evidence for the existence of the Empire.
If you wish to experience the remains of the Aksum Empire yourself, visit Ethiopia and subsume yourself in the history of the land. For your visa needs, you can visit Tourist Visa Online.
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