City: Addis Ababa
Top Things to do in Addis Ababa
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The 10 Best Things to Do in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Sometimes referred to as the capital of Africa, Addis Ababa is a buzzing hub of economic, social and political activity and home to such notable offices as the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. The diversity of its people is reflected in the many churches, mosques and museums, including the Ethiopian National Museum which houses the fossilized skeleton of Dinkinesh, or Lucy, the Australopithecine discovered in the area in the 1970s.
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1. Red Terror Martyrs Memorial Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 655 reviews
Reviewed By Robert937 - Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The theme of the museum is very much to pay respect to the victims of the Derg regime that followed the feudal imperial reign by Haile Selasssi after a coup in the 1970s and 80s.
Convincing evidence is presented including documents by the regime itself, a map with torture centers and the bones and skulls of some of the thousands of opponents that were killed. No doubt a fascist repression, but genocide? No specific race or ethnicity was singled out for extermination, rather the repression was indiscriminate and directed against any opponent regardless of race, religion or ethnicity. The fact that Mengistu, the fascist leader of the regime was Amharic seemed to have played no role. The museum designers do not mention it either.
Remarkable as well is that no mention is made of external support to the regime by the Soviet Union and its allies particularly East Germany, Cuba and of course Zimbabwe where Mengistu eventually got asylum. He is still alive.
I learned that the fiercest opposition to the regime came from Eritreans and Tigrayans, their military forces exceeding more than 50,000 each, while Amharic resistance was very limited and though Oromi resistance was certainly real it never reached the same level as that of Tigrayans and Eritreans. No wonder the Eritreans achieved independence and Tigrayans a dominant position in the present-day power structure.
Entrance free of charge.
Very worth while a visit if you want to understand Ethiopia's history.
2. Ethnological Museum
Overall Ratings
4 based on 431 reviews
Reviewed By Robert937 - Rotterdam, The Netherlands
It is more like going to a 1950s palace than going to an Ethnological Museum. The place gives you an idea of how Ethiopia's royals lived at the time. Separate bathrooms: one in blue for the man, one in pink for the woman. Separate bedrooms? I missed the place where the dogs were kept. Haile Selassi loved his dogs more than anything or anyone...
The banquet hall is now occupied by Reading students. Ethnological and iconic art Exhibitions are on the other floors. Unless you like cartoonesk paintings and icons, focus on the floor with ethnographic explanations of a selection of Ethiopia's cultures. Be prepared for a lot of Reading. Interesting and informative stuff, but after a couple of hours you think: I could do that at home. Time for a make-over.
Entrance fee 100 Birr for foreigners; 5 Birr for Ethiopians.
Overall Ratings
4 based on 451 reviews
Reviewed By Robert937 - Rotterdam, The Netherlands
A mid 20th century church built to commemorate the defeat of Italian fascism in Ethiopia. The architecture is perhaps not that interesting. There are many churches like this in Europe, but in Ethiopia Holy Trinity is the second most important place of Christian worship (after Aksum).
Augmenting the importance of Holy Trinity is the presence of the tabot (returned by the British in 2002). It is the original one taken by the British forces as a trophee after the battle of Magdalla in 1868 during which Tewodros was defeated. The tabot, replica of the stone tablets with the ten commandments is a cornerstone of the Christian faith and until now an ethical compass also for non-believers.
In the churchyard is the grave of Sylvia Pankhurst, the famous British suffragette and anti-fascist activist.
They charge people for visiting a place of Christian worship.
Entrance fee for foreigners 100 Birr. Ethiopians free access.
4. Entoto Hill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 577 reviews
Reviewed By tlagyn - Nashville, Tennessee
My small group had a private car with a colleague who grew up in Addis Ababa. The trip from the city to the mountain was as scenic as the mountain itself. Great to watch the thousands of people on the streets. During the winding ascending final portion of the road up the mountain, we encountered multiple women carrying a hundred pounds or so of wood on their backs to sell as firewood. At the summit is a brightly colored church (which is beautiful on the outside but forget about seeing the inside) a small museum of relics of Menelik (which was actually quite good), and the historical palace of Menelik (which was disappointing at best). Wonderful views of the city far below. Worth the visit just for the trip and the historical value.
5. St. George's Cathedral
Overall Ratings
4 based on 214 reviews
Reviewed By Robert937 - Rotterdam, The Netherlands
An early 20th century church built with the help of an Italian architect named Castagna captered after the first Italian - Ethiopian war. The design follows a traditional circular pattern, though the square cornerpieces and neo-classicist features show European influence.
You get the feeling you are visiting a shrine, because worship is all focused towards the middle of the church with barriers getting more restrictive the closer you get to the center. Church teaching is still very much in the form of a monologue with the believers on the receptive end absorbing without criticism or interaction. During my visit a priest held a sermon amplified by loudspeakers, a bit what we are used to observe at mosques.
6. National Museum of Ethiopia
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1 reviews
This museum’s greatest treasure is the partial skeleton of "Lucy," a tiny human believed to have lived over three million years ago.
Reviewed By TomBolt - Stuttgart, Germany
Not quite as good as the Ethnological Musuem but still one of the better museums in the country, lots of variety. Of course Lucy and some other artifacts are major attractions but they could do a better job of displaying them. Some displays have decent explainations in English but many have little or no description. Biggest surprise was that it only cost 10 birr compared to 100 or 200 birr for nearly every church or site in Ethiopia.
7. Entoto Maryam Church
Overall Ratings
4 based on 146 reviews
Reviewed By uclatraveler9 - Los Angeles, California
There are several different things to visit around the church. There is a tiny museum right next to the church. It has a few interesting things, like some Olympic medals. The information is not printed in English.
The church was closed, so we couldn't go inside.
There is an old palace from one of the former emperors. It's an empty building, so mostly it's just an opportunity to enjoy the old architecture. You only need a couple minutes inside.
Overall, not super interesting, but the church is pretty and if you're going up Entoto Hill for the views anyway, you might as well stop here.
8. The Mausoleum of Menelik II
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 41 reviews
Reviewed By Connyswede - Kalmar, Sweden
This is the the place for the sarcofaguses of Emperor Menelik II and his wife, Empress Zewditu his daughter and predecessor of Emperor Haile Selassie and other prominent persons. If you have a guide who can tell you about the interesting history of these persons history the experience will be even better. I strongly recommend this place!
9. Merkato
Overall Ratings
4 based on 163 reviews
Addis Ababa can be overwhelming to visitors but I am here to make you feel at home. I will share my local view and show you around.
Reviewed By CK_Aussie_girl - Oslo, Norway
We were driven through here by our guide, and it was absolutely crazy. Every possible thing being sold, unimaginable amounts of things being carried up every street and alley. So many cars, motorbikes, vans and people walking that we were amazed there weren't more accidents. Absolutely hectic, and quite glad not to have been out and about walking through it, we just stopped at one location to get out and have a look. Very glad to have seen it, was quite the experience!
10. Adadi Mariam
Overall Ratings
4 based on 53 reviews
Reviewed By Chrisbeeoxford - Oxford, United Kingdom
This was the first rock-hewn church I'd seen: cave churches and crypts yes but never one hewn from rock. There is a 12 km unmade-up side road to enjoy after many km of pot holed tarred road often hazardous because of stray animals, over loaded carts, tuk-tuk, trucks and pedestrians. The un-tarred road takes one right into the heart of the peasant-farming country with its round mud and straw housing. In wet times it is clear that the village of Adadi floods and the road was likely to be blocked. But I was there in December, a dry season month.
An entrance fee is payable. The sign says a photo pass is needed but it seemed to apply to cine cameras only. One walks ahead and sees a cross planted in the grass wondering where the church is. Simple - its beneath the grass. Only on walking closer does one see the moat all round the mound with the cross on it and the steps down into the moat. And only when down does one realise that there is another rock hewn passageway beyond the initial entrance arch. Here shoes should be shed before entering into the common area of the church. Mind your head. The room is cave like and has bench Seating round three sides with the fourth having a central wooden doorway closed off. It gives access to the second chamber reserved for priests and then through a curtained archway into the sacred sanctum housing the Ark. Take a walk round the church in the inner passageway to get the true picture of the mining and hewing involved.
History says it was built by St (King) Lalibela in the 12th Century, one of the many he built but with the rest much further north. My personal guide knew more than the local one and the attendant allowed me into the second chamber for a demonstration of the three holy instruments and traditional chanting.
If you have time find the tree with the flock of Purple Glossy Starlings roosting and look around for the other birds.
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