What to See in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)

By | July 9, 2022

According to babyinger, Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia. It is the largest city in the country, its economic and cultural center. Addis Ababa is located in the center of Ethiopia at an altitude of 2440 m. The city is one of the highest capitals in the world. The name Addis Ababa means “new flower” in Amharic.

The city was founded in 1886 by Emperor Menelik II. Its construction began south of Mount Entoto, when the wife of Menelik II – Taitu – ordered the construction of a palace in the vicinity of hot mineral springs. In 1889, the emperor moved the capital of Ethiopia here.

The main square of the city – Meskel Square, where on September 27 of each year the religious holiday of Meskel is celebrated – the Finding of the Life-Giving Cross. The square also serves as a venue for various concerts and parades. In the eastern part of the square there is a monument dedicated to the struggle against the military regime “Derg”, which kept the whole country in fear in the 70s of the 20th century.

On Menelik II Square you can see the equestrian statue of Menelik II and the Orthodox Cathedral of St. George. The cathedral was built in 1896 after the victory of the Ethiopian army over the Italian invaders near the city of Adua. Its interior paintings, which were made by the Ethiopian artist Aferwerk Tekle, are very beautiful. The church houses a small museum where you can see the throne on which Emperor Haile Selassie was crowned and a collection of weapons used in the late 19th century in the fight against the Italians.

To commemorate another victory over the Italians – the liberation of the country from Italian occupation in 1941 – the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity was erected in the eastern part of Addis Ababa . Emperor Haile Selassie, members of his family and the military who fought against the Italians are buried in the cathedral. Today, the cathedral is the residence of the Archbishop of Addis Ababa.

Not far from the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity is the business part of the city. Here you can see the buildings of the second half of the 20th century: the Parliament building, the Municipality, the State Bank and the Africa Palace, decorated with a huge stained-glass window of 150 square meters. m, which was completed by Aferverk Tekle. The Africa Palace is the headquarters of the United Nations Economic Council for Africa.

Be sure to visit the largest market not only in the city, but also in the entire continent – Mercato. This open market was created by the Italians. There are about 120 shops and 1 shopping center here. In the market you can buy a wide variety of goods. Near the market stands the largest mosque in Ethiopia – Anwar.

In addition, in Addis Ababa, it is worth looking at the Royal Palace of Menelik II of 1894, where the government of the country now sits, Jubilee Palace, built in 1955 for the 25th anniversary of the reign of Haile Selassie, where the presidential residence is located today, and the monument to A.FROM. Pushkin, whose great-grandfather was from Africa.

Of the city’s museums, one can single out the Historical and Ethnographic Museum, which consists of two halls: a hall of local crafts and a hall of ethnic groups inhabiting Ethiopia, and the National Museum, which stores a plaster copy of the remains of an ancient person – Australopithecus Lucy, which were found in the valley of the Awash River.

At the northern borders of the city, on the slopes of Mount Entoto (3000 m), Entoto Park is located. Eucalyptus forests stretch here, which were planted under Menelik II. The mountain offers a beautiful view of Addis Ababa. Also in the vicinity of the city is Zugala Lake. It is located in the crater of an extinct volcano. The crater has a depth of 60 m and a diameter of 2 km. The lake is surrounded by juniper forests, among which you can see endemic colobus monkeys. Since ancient times, a monastery has been standing on the shores of the lake. In addition, from Addis Ababa you can go to Lake Wonchi, which is also located in the crater of an extinct volcano, 900 m deep, and to the Menagesh Reserve Forest with a variety of flora, waterfalls and picnic areas.

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)