The ancient port that connected the highland civilizations to the Red Sea, Southern Arabia, India, Rome, and the wider world.
Adulis stood inland from its ancient harbour on the Gulf of Zula. Written and archaeological evidence identify it as the maritime gateway through which Aksum exchanged goods with the Red Sea and Indian Ocean worlds.
Around 520, Cosmas Indicopleustes visited the city and copied texts later known through his account as the Monumentum Adulitanum. Excavations have documented settlement mounds, imported ceramics, coins and substantial buildings, including late-antique churches.
Why this place matters
Adulis makes the highland kingdom’s overseas connections visible: Aksum’s political reach and prosperity cannot be understood without its coastward routes and port.