Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s sprawling capital in the highlands bordering the Great Rift Valley, is the country’s commercial and cultural hub. The gateway to an ancient country with a deep mystical charm, Addis Ababa was founded in 1876 by Emperor Menelik II in the shade of the lofty eucalyptus trees of Mt Entoto. Today it is a fast-growing megalopolis with a multinational character, the diplomatic and political center of Africa.
It’s National Museum exhibits Ethiopian art, traditional crafts, and prehistoric fossils, including replicas of the famous early hominid, “Lucy.” The burial place of the 20th-century emperor Haile Selassie, the copper-domed Holy Trinity Cathedral, is a neo-baroque architectural landmark.
National Museum of Ethiopia
You easily spot the 1952-founded National Museum of Ethiopia at Amist Kilo in Addis Ababa. The Museum is the home of Ethiopia’s historical, cultural and archaeological heritages. Various fossils including Denknesh (Lucy)-the first human ancestor, lithic (stone) tools, archeological findings, traditional and ceremonial clothes, jewels, and living styles of different ethnic groups in the country are displayed in the museum. You can also enjoy documentary films, splendid artworks, sculptures, and portraits of Ethiopian leaders beginning from the 18th century up to now.
Museum of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES)
If you visit Addis Ababa University, Sidsit Kilo campus, you will have a chance to visit the art gallery, Ethno-musicological Philatelic, and coins and banknotes collections.
Merkato – Africa’s largest Open-Air Market
Merkato, the largest market in Africa, sprawls over several square miles to the west of the city center. Originally established during the era of the Italian occupation (1936-41), it is now estimated to contain over 7 thousand shops and stalls. If you know where to look, you can buy almost anything there. The narrow streets, mazes of stalls, and bustling atmosphere can be a little daunting, to begin with, but with a local guide to show you the areas for different goods, from coffee, spices, and every type of food to fabrics, handicrafts, and even recycling streets, you’ll soon start to appreciate that Merkato is the real heart of Addis Ababa.
Unity Park
Unity Park is located within the National Palace of Ethiopia. It holds the generational legacy of Ethiopia And Ethiopians. The Park has been inaugurated recently.
The National Palace was built under Emperor Menelik II over a century ago, the Palace rests on 40 thousand sqm of land. For generations, it has been viewed as the epicenter of political power where the most powerful Ethiopian rulers resided in. The renovated compound incorporates several sights of interest to visitors, including an arena, a playground, a zoo, three churches, a House of Royals, and an imperial banquet hall.
Sheger Park
It is found in the heart of Addis Ababa, in front of the Prime Minister’s office, in the downtown of the capital. Sheger Park is the recently inaugurated entertainment facility which is initiated by the project of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Once you enter the Park, you will enjoy myriads of recreation facilities which comprise cultural centers, an art gallery, places of science & technology, a tennis court, and a waterfall café. If you hold your books, the Park is a peaceful, lovely, and immaculate place to read. You can also wander down the hill on the stone path. All in all, Sheger Park has become a paramount importance to boost urban tourism and to better elevate the status of Addis Ababa.
Entoto Park
It lies between the northern limit of Addis Ababa towering high above the city. Entoto is a well-known wildlife sanctuary. In fact, you find the Park by far the most beautiful, elegant, and amazing park in Addis Ababa. Especially after being renovated by the Sheger project, Entoto has become a site of filled monuments, fountains, playgrounds, horse-bike riding fields, convenient restaurants, arrow training spaces, and the like. The adorable beauty & lush greenery of Entoto Natural Park surely allure you to visit it several times once you experience it. The clear and pleasant hiking trails are also entertaining.
Entoto St Mary’s Church
It is located at the top of Entoto hill. It was built in the 1880s. It is octagonal with three distinct concentric chambers. The interior walls of the church are covered with beautiful paintings. You can also visit the palace and the museum which are found within the church compound.
St. George Cathedral
It is located at Piazza. The ‘tabot’ of St. George was marched to the Battle of Adwa in 1896. The current church, built in 1906, is an octagonal building, set in pleasant wood gardens and elegant doom. It is decorated with some of the interesting paintings of Afework Tekle (Ethiopia’s leading modern artist). It has a small but interesting museum in which one can visit several valuable treasures.
Holy Trinity Cathedral
You can find the Holy Trinity Cathedral at Arat Kilo. It was built by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1941 after the restoration of independence. Many beautiful paintings, morals, and stained-glass windows decorated the interior. Its exterior is very impressive with elaborate pillars and carved decorations. There are many statues of angels and disciples on the rooftop, culminating in an impressive way. The tombs of Queen Mennen (wife of Emperor Haile Selassie) is found inside the church. In the churchyard, there are tombs and monuments of very important persons including the patriots who lost their lives during the five years of Italian occupations of Ethiopian, members of the royal family, and commemorations of Ethiopian soldiers who died in the Korean War (1950 -1953).
