Geographic coordinates:9 02 N, 38 42 E
Elevation: 8000ft (2440m)
Area: 530.14 sq. km
Established in: 1886
Population: Approximately 3,484,003
Ethiopians Capital, Addis Ababa: A mixture of Old and New, culture
and commercial center, and take pleasure in the status of being the
Diplomatic Capital of Africa. It serves as the Head Quarter for ECA
(Economic Commission for Africa) and AU (African Union), as Regional
Head Quarter for UNDP, UNICEF, UNHCR, FAO, UNCTAD, ILO and ITU are
all in Addis Ababa. More than 95 embassies from all over the world
have their missions there. This makes the capital of Ethiopia a city
where one finds the highest concentration of embassies in the world
after Washington DC, New York and London.
The city stands at the very heart of Ethiopia and there is much to
do and to see. The city has a flourishing cultural life, with
regular exhibitions and lectures. There are many opportunities to
experience Ethiopian music, song and dance, to visit museums and to
see the city sights.
Addis Ababa has got a lot of tourist attraction. Monuments, museums,
churches, palaces, etc…some of the attractions are commemorates for
the Emperors, patriots, Archbishop, and for the innocent people of
Addis Ababa who died at the time of the Italian occupation in
Ethiopia.
The Piazza
As its name suggests, the piazza is a legacy of the Italian invasion
and still has a pronouncedly Italian character. Renowned for its
gold and jewelry shops; if you are looking for souvenirs of
Ethiopia, just take a walk from Piazza up to Churchill road.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
The biggest Orthodox Church in the country built in 1941 by Emperor
Haileselasse in memory of the Ethiopian patriots who fought against
Italians. It is a beautiful church with a baroque style of European
architecture which is unique to both Ethiopia and Africa and is
dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Here you will find script s of the
Imperial families, statues done by a Greek sculpture, stained glass
window paintings from Old and New Testament in the Bible and coffins
of Emperor Haile Silassie I the founder of the this church, and his
wife.
Holy Trinity Cathedral, inside the church former Emeror
Haileselassie and Empress Mene tomb were kept, and the church yard
is the burial ground of many patriots who lost their lives during
the five-year occupation of Ethiopia, including Ras Imru, principal
commanders at that time.
St. George Church
Menelik II following his victory over the Italians at the Battle of
Adwa built the octagonal church in 1896. The church is dedicated for
St. George the dragon killer. Inside the church there are
interesting artworks and paintings. The mosaic paintings were made
by the Ethiopian famous World laureate meter Artist Afework Tekle.
In the premises of the church, there is a bell tower and permanent
exhibition.
The Jubilee Palace
On Menelik II Avenue, this modern palace was completed to
commemorate the Silver Jubilee of the coronation of Emperor Haile
Selassie. The park is home to a collection of rare indigenous
wildlife.
Merkato
Mercato is a melting pot where people come from everywhere for some
reason: Some are there to buy, or to sell, others are there to visit
or to window shop, and still others are there to find their daily
bread in any way they can.
The main market place created in 1936 under the Italian occupation,
and known as the largest open Air market place in Africa is well
worth a visit. It presents a wonderful range of goods and products,
items of local art and Ethiopian curios and antiques. On Saturdays,
day of big affluence, the Merkato is believed to host not less than
100’ 000 people who participated in the transaction flow, pushing
their ways among the joyous chaos.
Mercato, a City within a City, is a mosaic of people, of items and
of colors that deserve to be visited.
Entoto Mountain
Entoto Mountain is a fifteen-minute drive from the center and 3019
meters high. Emperor Menelik II had chosen Entoto for the great of
the court before the foundation of Addis Ababa. Here one can see
traces of earlier settlement and two fine churches St.Marry, where
Emperor Menelik crowned in it and St. Raguel church built in 1880’s.
The top of the range is appointed for the panoramic view of Addis
Ababa with its surrounding forests and its breathtaking fresh air.
Shero Meda Market
Located on the road to Entoto, the market is a vast area with a
large variety of attractive and colorful items to tempt the visiting
shopper.
Shero Meda is the place to go for the colorful Gabi and Netela
blankets and beautiful Ethiopian dress known as the “Abesha Lebse”.
The colorful stores are displays with all kinds of Ethiopian dresses
and clothes. These dresses are traditionally made up of three parts
‘kemis’- woven dress, ‘meknat’- shahs worn around the waist, and
‘netela’ large cloak worn over the other two pieces. The cotton is
woven with many decorative colors and strips and is distinguished by
the intricate embroidery. Dresses are available for all ages.
A different and unexpected side of the Shiro Meda is the Artifacts
and clay works area. Black and brown clay pots, jugs, ashtrays,
trays and plates are decorated with traditional paintings or beaded
with attractive beads from allover the country. From the pots that
are used to cook the traditional Shero to the Jebena that are used
to brew the traditional Ethiopian coffee. It is a display of
tradition that will appeal to the visitor.
Bole Airport
The new, state-of-the-art Bole International Airport is one of the
best airport terminals in Africa, not the least for its selection of
shops, cafes, banking facilities and other services. If you haven’t
travelled to Addis for a while, you are in for a pleasant surprise.
Here are just some of the shops and facilities that are now waiting to serve you. Ethiopian Tourist Trading Enterprise (ETTE) duty free shops with a number of outlets sell a wide range of Ethiopian Artifacts, jewelry, books and souvenirs. If you are looking for exclusive jewelry and gift items visit the Lalibela jewelry and Novis Souvenir shops.
Bole Airport has various International connections. Domestic flights
are also available to various regions of the country. The Historic
route has daily flights from Addis Abeba, in sight such as Bahir
Dar, Gondar, Lalibela, Axum, Mekele, Dire Dawa, To the South (Arbaminch)
and to the South west connected to the cities of (Jimma, Tum, and
Gambela).
Monuments in Addis Ababa
Freedom (victory) monument
- This monument is located on the intersection of Adwa, Queen
Elizabeth and Development Through Cooperation Avenues at Arat Kilo,
and commemorates the victory of the Ethiopians over the Italians in
1941, as well as those gallant Ethiopians who perished resisting the
invading fascist forces during the 1928-1933 war. The official name
of the square where the monument located is Miazia 27, i.e. the day
of the libration of the country and the arrival of the Emperor
together with his patriotic troops in Addis Ababa.
- Emperor Haile Selassie inaugurated the Freedom Monument in 1944. The 15 meters monument symbolizing the obelisks of Axum supported by pillars and has six entrances. The history of the five year struggle is narrated by writings carved on stone tablets around the monument. On the western entrance is the discourse of Emperor Haile Selassie at the time of his arrival and the day of libration in 1941. On the remaining three entrances to the monument are written on the stones the following:
- Northwest: this commemorates the patriots of the five-year struggle and shows a woman in bas-relief holding a sword. On the stone is written the contribution of those who fought the enemy secretly at home submitting information to the patriots.
- Northeast: this side invokes the memory of the patriots who perished in the five years war and is again depicted by a women with a sword in her hands, while on the stone is narrated the role they played.
- Southeast; depicts Emperor Haile Selassie holding the Ethiopian flag in his hands and the relief of the lion of Judah under him, while the stone writing at that part narrate the great political and diplomatic role played by the Emperor to liberate the country during his exile.
- Southwest: this part is left for the memory of those Ethiopians who emigrated from their country and fought wherever they were against the fascist Italians’ occupation. Here also is depicted a woman holding a spear in her left hand and shield in the other, and on her head a wreath of anguish, while on the stone under her is described the life of those emigrant Ethiopians who suffered in alien countries.
- The top of the monument reveals the lion of Judah holding the Ethiopian flag in its foreleg and facing north. On the western side is a clock with its short indicating one o’clock: the time of arrival of the patriots in Addis Ababa.
- On the lower part of the monument an inscription which reads:
“Erected in memory of the brave patriots who shed their blood and
sacrificed their lives during 5 years of eney occupation for the
libration of their country”.
Yekatit 12 monument
- It commemorates a massacre of large number of Addis Ababa people
died in this particular place.
- The name of the monument has been given because of the people who died in that particular date “Yekatit 12 1929 E.C. (February 19, 1937 G.C.)”
- An attempt on the life of Vceroy Graziani by two Ethiopians in February 1937 provoked the Italians to unleash a three day reign of terror, at time there were 30 thousand innocent people killed in cold blood and many of their house burnt down. The monument was erected and inaugurated on 19 February 1942 in their memory to tell the world and remind Ethiopians of their history.
- The two Yugoslavian citizens Agostinchi Anto and Curcinich Fran
made the monument. The massacre was originally narrated by bronze
lettering carved on open-book like stones on four directions around
the obelisk. Unfortunately, these letters have now disappeared.
Menlik 2nd monument
- This monument is erected on the square of Emperor Menelik near St.
George church and is a standing testimony of the famous Battle of
Adwa in 1986, witnessing Africa’s victory over European colonialism.
A German architect, Hartel Spengler, cast it in bronze on the orders
of Queen Zewditu, the daughter of Emperor Menelik II, in memory of
her father. The statue symbolizes the anti-colonial struggle of
Emperor Menelik who waged the Battle of Adwa, the climatic battle of
the First Italio-Ethiopian war.
- The statue portrays Emperor Menelik in his coronation robes riding
glamorously on Abba Dagnew, his horse which is depicted with both
foreign raised, looking to the north where the victorious battle of
Adwa took place. Sadly, before the statue erected, Queen Zewditu was
died in 1930. Thus, the then crown prince (later Emperor Haile
Selassie) attended the inauguration ceremony on the eve of his
coronation day in the same year. In the 1936 fascist invasion,
Benito Mussolni gave his personal order that this statue should be
pulled down and hidden somewhere so that the humiliating defeat of
the Italians at Menelik’s hand in the Battle of Adwa could be
forgotten. However, in 1941 when the invaders were ousted by the
patriots and allied forces, the statue was restored to its original
place.
Abune Petros monument
The first statue was erected in 1941 and inaugurated by Emperor
Haile Selassie in memory of Abune Petros, archbishop of the
Ethiopian Orthodox Church who supported the national patriots
against the fascist Italian invaders. The fascist leaders tried to
persuade him to preach to the people of Ethiopia to accept their
leadership. Instead, he courageously faced the firing squad in
defiance and inspired both the patriots and the whole population not
to surrender to the Italians by excommunicating not only the
faithful but also the land itself.
He was shot because of his resistance; thus the monument describing the action is seen within the street and square under his name just below the city Hall to the west. The original statue with full bishopric robe, a cross and a bible in his hands, was replaced by the present one, which indicates the action of his murder with guns in chained hands. The first statue is today found in the premises of St. George Cathedral in front of the bell tower where there is a small museum.
- The Greek sculptor G. Georakas made it.
Lion of Judah monument
- The lion of Judah was erected in the square of the Addis Ababa
railway station, portraying the devotion of Emperor Menelik to link
Ethiopia with the outside world by means of the railway line (with
the help of his Swiss advisor, then foreign Minister, Engineer
Alfred Lig). The bronze statue can be seen immediately in front of
the railway station, which was built by the French and inaugurated
in December 1930 G.C. (Hidar 24, 1922) by the order of Franco
Ethiopian Train Company. But in October 1936 G.C. the Italian took
the monument from Ethiopia to Djibouti Italian councilor office. And
from Djibouti, they took it to Italy by the ship name called
Polistian. But again, in December 1972 G.C. (Hidar 24, 1964) the
monument came back to its home.
- It has the picture of Menelik 2nd, Ras Mekonen, Princess Zewditu,
and Emperor Haile Selassie 1st. the lion of Judah itself faces to
the south with opened mouth, raised left foreign
Haile Selassie’s Lion of Judah monument
- This black stone carved monument is erected near the National
Theater on the western side at Unity Square and commemorates the
Silver Juilee of Emperor Haile Selassie, celebrated in 1955.
- It was erected in November 1956 G.C. (Tikimt 23, 1948) by the French sculptor Musse Kaba who took the first Roma award by the wisdom of art. Henry Shomet, the Architect of the Addis Ababa City Hall, selected him for this task.
Ras Mekonnen Wolde Michael monument
- It was erected in May 1944 G.C. (Miazya 27, 1936) and it was built
on the foundation laid near Ras Makonnen Bridge by Ras Mekonnen’s
distinguished son, Emperor Haile Selassie I, in recognition of the
services rendered to the nation by his highness.
Dilachin (Derg) monument
- It commemorates for the friendship of the two socialist countries,
Ethio-Cuba, which Ethiopia were fought with Somalia in 1977, and the
Cubans helped Ethiopians in this war.