Now, you are in Ethiopia!: The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion (ርዕሰ አድባራት ቅድስተ ቅዱሳን ድንግል ማሪያም ፅዮን)

Axum Tsion

The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion (ርዕሰ አድባራት ቅድስተ ቅዱሳን ድንግል ማሪያም ፅዮን) (Re-ese Adbarat Kidiste Kidusan Dingel Maryam Ts’iyon) is a church in Northern Ethiopia, Axum Town of Tigray Regional State.See in Google Maps (https://plus.google.com/103084698910453674661/about?gl=US&hl=en)

The original church, being believed to have been built during the reign of Ezana, the first Christian emperor of Ethiopia, during the 4th century AD, and has been rebuilt several times since then, is the most important church in Ethiopia, and claims to contain the Ark of the Covenant.[1]

This church is the first to be built in Ethiopia.[2]

Axum Tsion is is one of the most Holliest places in the world as it has the Ark of Covenant given to Noah in to his hands directly from God.[3]

Emperor Haile Selassie's wife, Empress Menen, paid for the construction of the new chapel.[4] Over the centuries, however, the church has been destroyed and rebuilt several times; the present structure dates from the 17th century.[5]

Hidar Tsion/ Mariam Tsion

Among the biggest celebrations in the Axum Tion Church, Hidar Tsion is the first. It is celebrated on November 29 and 30[6], every year. Hidar Zion is associated with the presence of the Ark of the Covenant in Axum and the belief that the Ark itself is a symbolism to her womb and this festival is attended by tens of thousands of people from all over Ethiopia, making it one of the most joyous annual pilgrimages in Axum, the "sacred city of the Ethiopians."[7]

In the eve fly to Axum and tonight attend the eve ceremony at the Zion (Mariam Tsion) church where as legend has it the original Ark of Covenant is housed.

The following day early morning, attend the colorful church ceremony at Mariam Tsion; pilgrims from all over the country come to express thanks after the fulfillment of a wish, or in the hope of miraculous cure. Believers wrapped in white shawls besides on this day the pilgrims sing with joy with the priests one after the other and among the swaying choir the priests (usually two) raps on drums, letting out a deep boom and female’s voice respond in a piercing chorus of ululations.[8]