A photorealistic depiction of daily life in Aksum, 4th century CE. People and carts move along wide streets lined with stone buildings and towering carved stelae under a clear sky.

A photorealistic depiction of daily life in Aksum, capital of the Kingdom of Aksum, around the 4th century CE. Stone-built structures and wide streets surround towering carved stelae rising above the city. Merchants, craftsmen, and officials go about their routines as goods from Africa, Arabia, and the Mediterranean circulate through markets. People wear draped garments and tunics influenced by both African and Mediterranean styles. Traders handle ivory, incense, metal goods, and ceramics, while animals and carts move through the city. The environment feels orderly and monumental without excess, highlighting Aksum’s role as a powerful trading empire and early Christian kingdom, with strong stone architecture and a sense of permanence and regional authority. See more