or Axum Ancient kingdom, northern Ethiopia. At its apogee (3rd-6th century AD), Aksum merchants traded as far as Alexandria and beyond the Nile River. The modern town of Aksum (pop., 1994: 27,148), once the kingdom's capital, is a religious centre best known for its antiquities. It has long been regarded as a holy city for the Ethiopian Orthodox church; according to tradition, King Menilek I, son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, brought the Ark of the Covenant there from Jerusalem. Aksum's antiquities have made it a tourist centre