Nestled at the southwestern foot of Mai Qoho Hill, just north of
Ezana Park, lies a hidden relic of antiquity—the Tomb of Bazen. Carved into
living rock, this subterranean marvel is a silent sentinel of a bygone era,
whispering secrets of an ancient royal burial ground.
A grand rock-hewn passage, stretching 9.5 meters with sixteen worn
steps, leads visitors into the depths of history. At its heart, a transverse
chamber, positioned 7.5 to 8.5 meters below the rugged landscape, opens into
four meticulously sculpted burial chambers. Flanking the entrance, seven
smaller chambers stand as silent echoes of a sophisticated funerary tradition.
Beyond the main tomb, an array of rock-cut burial pits, cruciform
shaft tombs, and scattered stelae mark the terrain, hinting at an expansive
necropolis lost to time. Once, multiple stelae stood in solemn tribute, but
today, only single 6.5-meter-high monolith remains, defying centuries of
erosion.
This
vast rock-cut complex, with its labyrinth of chambers and cryptic stelae,
suggests that the Tomb of Bazen was not just a resting place—it was a royal
sanctuary, an enduring testament to an age where stone was carved not just to
house the dead, but to immortalize the past.