Tigrai Online
May 02, 2012
Construction of various development projects launched in Axum Town, Tigray State with over 76 million Birr is well in progress, urban development, and trade and industry office of the town said.
Office Head, Alemseged Berihu told ENA on Thursday that the projects include, among others, construction of 6km cobblestone covering, a secondary school, a bridge, gravel road and sewerage canal.
Construction of the projects created jobs for more than 800 youth organized in associations.
Alemseged said the government, residents and natives allocated over 44 million Birr of the stated sum while a humanitarian organization contributed the balance.
Some of the youth said they managed to improve their livelihoods through engaging in construction of the projects.
Axum is a town in northern Ethiopia. It was the original capital of the kingdom of Axum. Axum dates back some 2,000 years to when it was the hub of the Axumite Empire.
Axum is home for huge granite stelae, some fallen and some still perpendicular. Made of single blocks of granite, the tallest stood over 33 metres high - the largest monolith in the world. The biggest now standing is 23 metres high.
Axum is home for the 16th century Church of St. Mary of Zion, which is the holiest Christian sanctuary in Ethiopia.
Ethiopians believe that the church houses the Ark of the Covenant, containing the tables on which Moses wrote the Ten Commandments.
UNESCO inscribed Axum as World Heritage in 1980.
Nine of Ethiopia' s properties are inscribed on the World Heritage List.
The heritages include, among others, the Fasil Ghebbi, Harar Jugol, Konso Cultural Landscape, Lower Valley of the Awash, Lower Valley of the Omo, Rock-Hewn Churches of lalibela, Tiya, The Semien Mountains National Park and Axum.
Source: ENA
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