Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion

The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion is an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in Ethiopia. It is alleged to contain the Ark of the Covenant. It is located inside the town of Axum, Tigray. The original church is thought to were constructed throughout the reign of Ezana the primary Christian ruler of the Kingdom of Axum, throughout the 4th century AD, and has been rebuilt numerous times due to the fact then. Since its founding at some stage in the episcopacy of Frumentius the Church of Mary of Zion has been destroyed and rebuilt at the least twice. Its first putative destruction passed off at the fingers of Queen Gudit during the tenth century.

Its 2nd, showed, destruction happened inside the 16th century on the arms of Ahmad ibn Ibrihim al-Ghazi, and then it become rebuilt with the aid of the Emperor Gelawdewos, then in addition rebuilt and enlarged by way of Fasilides for the duration of the 17th century. St. Mary of Zion was the traditional vicinity where Ethiopian Emperors got here to be crowned. And indeed, if an Emperor became not crowned at Axum, or did no longer as a minimum have his coronation ratified with the aid of a unique provider at St. Mary of Zion, he couldn't be referred to by using the identify of "Atse".