Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion

The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum is the most important church of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church at the historic Axum site in northern Ethiopia. It is traditionally identified with the location where the Ark of the Covenant is said to be kept.

Pilgrims and visitors come for religious services, to view the church precincts and to see the older ruined church remains adjacent to the modern buildings. The site includes liturgical chapels and a restricted sanctuary associated with the Ark tradition.

The church site has long-standing importance in Ethiopian Christianity and has been rebuilt and renovated over many centuries; a succession of churches have occupied the site from the early Christian period onward. Its role as a major pilgrimage church has continued into the present day.

The complex sits in the city of Axum in Ethiopia’s Tigray Region, within the broader archaeological and historical landscape of the ancient Aksumite kingdom.

• Ark tradition: Ethiopian Orthodox tradition holds that a life-sized wooden chest on the site contains the Ark of the Covenant; access to that sanctuary is restricted to a single guardian priest.

What to See #

• Modern church complex: The newer cathedral complex that functions as the active place of worship and pilgrimage within Axum, containing liturgical spaces and chapels.
• Old church ruins and archaeological area: Ruined older church structures and archaeological remains on the same site that reflect earlier phases of Christian worship at Axum.
• Sacred chapel (restricted): The restricted sanctuary traditionally said to house the Ark of the Covenant, access to which is limited to a single guardian priest according to local custom.