Ancient site · Temple
Yeha (Great Temple)
Also known as Yiha
A town in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, that was probably the capital of the pre-Aksumite kingdom of Dʿmt. Its Great Temple, a tall roofless tower of finely fitted stone blocks, was built in the Sabaean style of South Arabia (Yemen) around 700 BCE and still stands.
Its inscriptions and design show close ties with South Arabia across the Red Sea. Nearby are the ruined Grat Beal Gebri complex and rock-cut shaft tombs, and a monastery and church stand beside the temple today.
- Dates
- temple c. 700 BCE
- Still standing
- Yes
- Location
- 14.29° N, 39.02° E
How we know
Inscriptions in the South Arabian script name kings of a state called Dʿmt; the temple's date comes from comparing its style with dated South Arabian buildings.
Nearby sites
- Aksum (stelae fields) capital from c. 1st century BCE–1st century CE; great stelae c. 300–400 CE
- Matara c. 8th century BCE – 7th century CE (approximate; pre-Aksumite to Aksumite)
- Meroë c. 800 BCE – 350 CE; royal pyramids c. 300 BCE – 350 CE
- Great Dam of Marib 8th century BCE – c. 570s CE
- Laas Geel c. 3500–2500 BCE (estimated)
- Kerma c. 2500–1500 BCE
Related
- Pre-Aksumite and Proto-Aksumite (Dʿmt) archaeological culture
- The world in 700 BCE: The Assyrian Colossus chapter