How you interpret the holy city of Axum (or Aksum, as it's also known) will largely depend on whether or not you're willing to suspend your disbelief. Take the tour guides at their word, and you'll learn that the Ark of the Covenant, which dates back to the biblical Exodus, is located here, and the Queen of Sheba's palace and bath are well preserved on the outskirts of town. But even if you're not willing to make a leap of faith and take them at their word, keep in mind that most of Axum has yet to be examined by archaeologists.

Dating back about four centuries before Christ, this city was the capital of the powerful Axumite Empire, and traces its roots to the Queen of Sheba. It served as a connecting point in the trade route between the Eastern Roman Empire and Persia and has been the heart of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church since King Ezana brought Christianity to the country in the 4th century. White-robed pilgrims stroll throughout the city, and visitors can wake early to observe their predawn ceremonies at the churches.

Many Ethiopians believe that the Ark of the Covenant has resided in Axum since Menelik I, legendary son of King Solomon of and the Queen of Sheba, brought it from Jerusalem thousands of years ago. Also called the Holy of Holies, the Ark—the container that holds the Ten Commandments delivered by Moses to the Israelites on Mount Sinai—is preserved in a sanctuary, but—and here's the catch—no one is allowed to see it. It's watched over by a guardian, who occasionally appears from the sanctuary to bless visitors. He spends almost his entire life guarding the Ark, first as an apprentice and then as the lead guardian after his predecessor dies. Even photos of this man are not allowed. For certain ceremonies, priests will bring out a covered replica and march it around, while observers carry colorful umbrellas. Though skeptics do not believe the true Ark resides in Axum, few doubt that something extremely old and valuable lives in the sanctuary.

Near the sanctuary is the Church of Saint Mary of Zion, the most sacred shrine in Ethiopia and the place where Ethiopian emperors were once crowned. The original church, which stood between the 4th and 16th centuries, was destroyed by Muslim invaders, and King Fasilidas, who also built the Royal Enclosure of Gonder, constructed the second Church of Saint Mary of Zion in the exact spot as the first one.

Axum's field of stelae consists of roughly 75 erected obelisks of various shapes and sizes with symbolic engravings. The tallest standing monolith is about 75 feet high. The largest one—which would have stood 108 feet tall—may have never been fully erected because of problems at the base, and currently lies on the ground in massive pieces. The stelae were erected over the course of centuries, some long before the arrival of Christianity, and some after, as proven by the inscriptions. During World War II, the Italian invaders cut the second largest Axumite stele (85 feet) into pieces and transported it to Rome. It was finally returned in 2005, but has yet to be reassembled. There are also tombs in this field, so bring a flashlight and watch your head as you duck through the chambers. It's said 98 percent of this field hasn't even been excavated, and there are likely many more tombs buried here.

In its prime, the multi-storied Queen of Sheba's castle—a structure in the city of Dongar that some date to 700 CE—contained numerous rooms, including a kitchen with an oven and a throne room atop a flag pole-like based. It's easy to picture ancient royalty spending time in this impressive building, or lounging poolside at Mai Shum, credited as the Queen of Sheba's bath. Though a layer of algae occasionally coats the surface, it's still used by the locals as a water source. Women stoop on the stairs to wash clothing or fill containers to bring back home. And while skeptics point out that there is no evidence tying the castle or the bath to the queen, they are impressive sites to behold. The Gudit stelae field is also located nearby, but it isn't as prominent as the main stelae field in Axum.

Axum also has a museum of antiquities, which contains ancient rock tablets inscribed in several languages, Axumite religious symbols, coins, and old bibles and scrolls—all of which will soon be housed in a new museum, currently under construction. Don't be surprised if local teens try to capitalize on the historical atmosphere of Axum by selling you old scrolls, books, paintings, and geodes. But be advised: buy something that even looks old without a receipt from an official gift shop, and you may not be able to get your new souvenir through customs.

So, it's already known that Axum has relics dating back thousands of years, monolithic obelisks, royal tombs and the remains of ancient castles. But what else? For a place that was once the home of an ancient superpower civilization, Axum has been severely under-funded for more archeological excavations. Perhaps, one day, more discoveries will expand—or at least clarify—the already legendary accounts of Axum.