First published: 17/02/24.

Wojciech Fedoruk 1

The Cultural Heritage Of Yeha

The Cultural Heritage of Yeha (On tentative list)

The Cultural Heritage of Yeha by Wojciech Fedoruk

Yeha is the remainings of the most ancient kingdom of present Ethiopia, which dates back to the 8th century BC. The Kingdom of Yeha maintained active contacts with Yemen and used the Sabaic language. In Yeha there is the oldest building still standing in Sub-Saharan Africa - the Great Temple once dedicated to Almaqah, the god of the moon (see photo). The temple was destroyed in the 6th century AD, when Christianity already reigned supreme in these areas, which, as we know, until recently did not like competition and actively suppressed it. The Christians did not turn the entire temple into a church, but partially demolished it to build their own place of worship nearby. In the Christian church there is a small museum with valuable artifacts, including over 1000-years-old liturgical books that the priest shows to visitors. It is also believed that the most ancient inscriptions of Sub-Saharan Africa were found in Yeha There are ancient tombs around the temple.

Next to it are the recently discovered ruins of the royal palace, where excavations are still ongoing.

Yeha is located about 50 km east of Aksum and is worth a short trip.

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