Discover 15 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: National Museum of Ethiopia, Zoological Park, and "Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum. Also, be sure to include Meyazia 27 Square in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Addis Ababa (Addis Abeba).
Table of Contents
National Museum of Ethiopia
Museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The National Museum of Ethiopia, also referred to as the Ethiopian National Museum, is a national museum in Ethiopia. It is located in the capital, Addis Ababa, near the Addis Ababa University's graduate school.[1]
Address: King George VI Street, Addis Ababa
Zoological Park
Zoological park in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Addis Ababa Zoo is a zoological park in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.[2]
Address: Russia Street, Addis Ababa
"Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum
Museum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The "Red Terror" Martyrs' Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa was established in 2010 as a memorial to those who died during the Red Terror under the Derg government. The museum has displays of torture instruments, skulls and bones, coffins, bloody clothes and photographs of victims. In free tours of the museum, guides describes the history leading up to the Red Terror, the actions taken toward citizens who opposed the Derg, how the prisoners were treated and how they secretly communicated among each other.
The museum also features pictorial history of the Red Terror.[3]
Address: Bole Road, Addis Ababa
Meyazia 27 Square
Meyazia 27 Square, commonly called Arat Kilo is an important and historic intersection and surrounding neighborhood in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, located where Adwa St, King George VI St, Queen Elizabeth II St, and Development Through Cooperation Ave come together. Its name denotes 27 Miyazya, 5 May, both the day when Addis Ababa fell to Italy in 1936 and was liberated in 1941. The park is under the aegis of the Addis Ababa Land Development and Urban Renewal Agency.
Many buildings of the Ethiopian government and Addis Ababa University are near the square. The eastern side of the square is dominated by the Ministry of Education, the western side has Addis Ababa University Department of Computer Science and the Archaeology Museum. Among the heterogeneous assortment adjacent buildings are the Holy Trinity Cathedral, Parliament building, and Imperial Palace Building.[4]
Medhane Alem Cathedral
Cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Medhane Alem Cathedral, whose name means “Saviour of the World”, is an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo cathedral in Bole Medhanealem, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is the second largest cathedral in the whole of Africa and the largest in Ethiopia.[5]
Address: Cameroon St, Bole subcity, Addis Ababa
Menelik Palace
Building complex. The Menelik Palace, also known as the Imperial Palace or Great Ghebbi, is a palatial compound in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Previously for years was known as the Gebbi, it was the seat of the power of Emperors of Ethiopia. Within its confines are several residences, halls, chapels, and working buildings. Today it contains the offices and residence of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia.[6]
St George's Cathedral
Cathedral. Saint George's Cathedral is an Ethiopian Orthodox church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The cathedral is noted for its distinctive octagonal form. It is located at the northern end of Churchill Road in the city.[7]
Address: North end of Churchill Rd, Piazza area, Arada subcity, Addis Ababa
Holy Trinity Cathedral
Also known as: መንበረ ጸባኦት ቅድስት ሥላሴ
Historic 1930s cathedral and burial site. Holy Trinity Cathedral, also known in Amharic as Kidist Selassie, is the highest ranking Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo cathedral in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was built to commemorate the Ethiopian victory over Italian occupation and is the second most important place of worship in Ethiopia, after the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum.[8]
Address: Aratkilo area, 123 Addis Ababa
Monument to the Lion of Judah
Statue by Georges Gardet. The monument to the Lion of Judah is a statue of the Lion of Judah, symbol of Ethiopian Emperors and Ethiopia, and is located in Addis Ababa.[9]
Addis Mercato
Also known as: መርካቶ
Marketplace in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Addis Mercato or simply known as Mercato is a large open-air marketplace in the Addis Ketema, district of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the name refers to the neighborhood in which it is located.[10]
Ethiopian National Theatre
Theatre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Ethiopian National Theatre is a national theatre in central Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.[11]
Address: Gambia St, Addis Ababa
Hager Fikir Theatre
Theatre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Hager Fikir Theatre is a theatre in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is one of the oldest and foremost theatre in Ethiopian history; hosting as multipurpose artistic venue over half decades.[12]
Address: John Melly St, Piazza district, Addis Ababa
Yekatit 12 monument
Memorial to historic massacre victims. The Yekatit 12 is a monument in Addis Ababa commemorating victims of Italian reprisals following an attempt to kill the Marshal Rodolfo Graziani, marchese di Neghelli, Viceroy of Italian East Africa, on 19 February 1937, or Yekatit 12 in the Ethiopian calendar. It is located in the centre of Sidist Kilo Square, also called "Yekatit 12 square".[13]
Meskel Square
Also known as: መስቀል አደባባይ
Historical landmark in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Meskel Square is a square in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is often a site for public gatherings or for demonstrations and festivals, notably, the Meskel Festival from which it takes its name.[14]
Africa Park
Park in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Africa Park is a park situated along Menelik II Avenue in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It stretches from Menelik Palace to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. Established in 1963, the park commemorates the foundation of the Organisation of African Unity. It has been re-designed by Show Engineering Workshop in 1999 by Olivier Panhuys and architect Charbel Sassine[15]