Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion, Orthodox church in Axum, Ethiopia

The Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion is an Orthodox church in Axum, Ethiopia, consisting of several buildings within a walled compound. The new cathedral from the mid-20th century stands beside the old church and a small chapel that only a single guardian may enter.

King Ezana ordered a church built on this site in the 4th century after Christianity became the state religion of the Aksumite kingdom. Later rulers renewed the building several times, with the current new cathedral constructed under Emperor Haile Selassie.

The church is the traditional coronation site of Ethiopian emperors, who could not bear the title "Atse" without a service here. Pilgrims gather for the Festival of Zion Mariam on 30 November (21 Hidar). Women may not enter the Old Church; the Virgin Mary, symbolized by the Ark, is the only woman allowed within its precinct.

The old church and the 1964 cathedral stand side by side within the same walled compound near the obelisks of Axum. The old church is open to men only; women may enter the new cathedral. The annual pilgrimage peaks around 30 November (21 Hidar), the Festival of Zion Mariam.

Ethiopian tradition holds that the Ark of the Covenant rests in the small chapel on the grounds, guarded by a single monk who spends his entire life there. This guardian may never leave the chapel, and no one but him can enter the interior.