The paired tombs of King Kaleb and his son Gebre Meskel sit on a small hill 1.8 kilometres northeast of the Northern Stelae Field, accessible by the road north out of town or by a direct footpath. Both tombs are underground and can be entered: stone staircases descend to chambers cut from the bedrock and lined with precisely fitted megalithic blocks. The craftsmanship is remarkable for the 5th and 6th centuries — large irregular stones fitted without mortar in a self-locking pattern.
Kaleb was one of the most powerful Aksumite kings, who launched a successful military campaign across the Red Sea into what is now Yemen around 525 AD, briefly extending Aksumite control over the Arabian Peninsula. His tomb is the larger of the two; Gebre Meskel's, to the south, is considered more refined in its construction. A caretaker on site can let you descend with a torch.