RIHLA #7

---

The kingdom of Aksum( Axum )

Government= it was a empire that ruled part of northeastern Africa and the southwest part of the saudi Arabian peninsula. The capital city was Aksum, and at its height it controlled southern Egypt, northern Ethiopia, Eritrea, northern Sudan, Dijibouti, Yamen, and southern Saudi Arabia.

Religion= The Aksum empire were polytheistic at the beginning, but was converted to Christianity by king Ezana II. This created the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Aksum empire is also know for being the home of the Ark of the Covenant( 10 commandments ).

Social hierarchy= the Askum had a mixture of cultures and people in the empire. They had slaves just like many other culture. Their farming class was ruled by a feudal lords.

Arts/ Architecture= Stelaes were sometimes used to represent graves or magnificent buildings. They were marked with marks from kings or nobles.

Cites= the cities were Askum, Adulis, Wiqro, and Najran.

Links=
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aksumite_Empire
http://archaeology.about.com/cs/africa/a/aksum.htm
http://wysinger.homestead.com/aksum.html

---