In April 2005 the stele was flown in three pieces from Rome to Aksum. I had a good look at them when I was there in January 2006. The sections are currently under temporary housings in front of the stele park.

The top two pieces are just outside the entrance to the park under a corrugated iron roofed shelter.

The pieces are still as they were during transport, strapped to reinforcing structures ready for craning into position.

Amusingly someone has installed a short lightning conductor just next to the shelter (it can just about be seen in the photograph on the left and the photograph below). No danger of the stele being struck by lightning a second time!

The base section is being stored in a similar shelter a short distance away.

Reports have suggested that re-erection will start this year and that the job will be completed by the end of December.