The magnificent Temple of the Moon at Yeha is located just 27km past the historic town of Adwa, the site of a decisive Ethiopian victory over invading Italian forces in 1896 that changed the course of history by affirming that Africans were indeed capable of defeating the superiorly armed European colonialists. Yeha’s huge and remarkable temple is believed to date back to the 5th century BC. However, according to the 19th century German scholar Heinrich Miller, the temple could date back to about seven or eight hundred years before the birth of Christ. The imposing ruins of Yeha’s temple (thoughroofless) still stand.

It was a large pre-Christian temple consisting of a single oblong chamber. The area of the remains of the temple measures 18.5m by 15m and its height stands at 12 meters. The temple is believed to be the oldest standing building in the country. The town of Yeha is considered by archaeologists and historians to be the capital of the pre- Axumite period. It holds many archaeological mysteries but the surrounding area has yet to be fully excavated.