 Umambo hweAksum, hunoumba chikamu chikuru chenyika yanhasi yeEritrea neTigray iri kuchamhembe kweEthiopia, hwakavapo munenge muzana remakore rokutanga kana kuti rechipiri. Vanhu vokuAksum vakagadzira matombo makuru akawanda, ayo akashandiswa pakunamata chiKristu chisati chavapo. Makore anopfuura 200 pashure pokuumbwa kwoumambo hwacho, hwakagamuchira chiKristu pasi paMambo Ezana. Eritrea yaivewo imwe yenzvimbo dzekutanga dzechiIslam muAfrica, sezvo boka revaMuslim rakatarisana nekutambudzwa muMecca rakatamira kuHumambo hweAksum. ChiIslam chakapararira kuEthiopia neEritreamunenge muna 615 AD nokusvika kwaOthman ibn Affan, mumwe weSahabah shamwari dzomuprofita wechiIslam Muhammad. Uthman akanga adzingwa muSaudi Arabia ndokuwana utiziro paAxum muTigray Region yeEthiopia pasi pekudzivirirwa kwamambo weAxumite, Aṣḥama ibn Abjar. 