Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion

The first position on the list of the oldest churches in the world is the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion. The Ark of the Covenant is rumored to be present in the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo church. The church is situated close to the grounds of the Obelisks of Axum in the northern Ethiopian town of Axum in the Tigray Region. The first church is thought to have been erected in the 4th century AD during the reign of Ezana, the first Christian king of the Kingdom of Axum (current-day Eritrea and Ethiopia), and has subsequently been restored multiple times.

The Church of Mary of Zion has been destroyed and rebuilt at least twice since its founding under the episcopacy of Frumentius (also known in Ethiopia as Abune Selama Kesatie Birhan or "Our Father of Peace the Revealer of Light"). In the 10th century, Queen Gudit allegedly destroyed it for the first time. Its second verified demolition took place in the 16th century at the hands of Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi, after which Emperor Gelawdewos repaired it. Later, in the 17th century, Fasilides further rebuilt and expanded it.

Location: 4PJ9+5RH, Aksum, Ethiopia