description Great Stele of Axum (Stele 1) Overview
The Great Stele, also called Stele 1, is a monumental carved stone at the ancient Aksumite stelae field in Aksum, Ethiopia. Originally about 33 metres tall, it is the largest known monolithic stele attempted by the Aksumites and was carved to resemble a multistory building with false doors and windows. It fell in antiquity and remains broken into several large sections at the archaeological site.
help Great Stele of Axum (Stele 1) FAQ
Why is the Great Stele of Axum lying broken on the ground?
The enormous monolith toppled in antiquity, possibly during or soon after an attempt to erect it. Its granite shaft broke into several large pieces that remain in the northern stelae field.
How large was the Great Stele before it fell?
Estimates place its original height at about 33 meters, making it the largest known monolithic stele attempted at Aksum. Its weight is commonly estimated at more than 500 tonnes.
Could the Great Stele of Axum be reassembled like Stele 2?
Stele 2 was returned from Italy in separate but comparatively manageable sections and re-erected in 2008. The Great Stele's immense weight, ancient fractures, and uncertain structural stability make reconstruction a substantially different engineering and conservation problem.
What was the Great Stele meant to represent?
Its carved stories, false windows, beams, and doors reproduce the facade of a monumental Aksumite building. Archaeologists generally associate the giant stelae with elite burial complexes dating to the pre-Christian Aksumite kingdom.
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