Addis Ababa is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is located on a well-watered plateau surrounded by hills and mountains in the country's geographic center. Addis Ababa was established in 1886 and only since then has it been serving as a capital city. Its immediate predecessor, Entoto situated on a high tableland, was found to be unsatisfactory because of freezing and acute shortage of firewood in the late 19th century. 

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Empress Taytu, consort of the then Emperor Menelik persuaded the emperor to build a house near a hot-spring area in the new city and grant land to members of the nobility, the city was thus founded and named Addis Ababa “New Flower” by the empress. 
Addis Ababa by now is the country’s commercial and cultural hub, as well as the seat of international organizations like the African Union and Economic Commission for Africa. It also hosts all the international embassies and consular services affiliated with Ethiopia, making the city a diplomatic hub and tourism axis. 

The National Museum exhibits Ethiopian art, traditional crafts, and prehistoric fossils, the copper-domed Holy Trinity Cathedral has a neo-baroque architectural style, and the largest market in eastern Africa “Mercato” are some of the city’s top attractions.

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Entoto Maryam 
Entoto Hills were the site of Emperor Menelik’s capital before Addis Ababa was founded in 1886. The only relic of this era, the still-functional Entoto Maryam Church, is an octagonal building with a traditionally painted interior, where Emperor Menelik was crowned in 1882. The interior can only be seen during and immediately after the church services, which are held every morning, ending at around 09.00. 
In the church compound of the church there is Emperor Menelik and Empress Taitu’s Memorial Museum which opened in 1987. It houses an interesting collection of religious items and ceremonial clothing dating from Menelik’s time.

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National Museum

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The collection of show at the National Museum is ranked among the most important in sub-Saharan Africa. The paleontology exhibit on the basement level contains fossilized evidence of some amazing extinct creatures, like the massive saber-toothed feline “Homotherium” and the gargantuan savannah pig “Notochoerus”. 
There are casts of ancient human fossils too. The periphery of the first floor focuses on the pre-Aksumite, Aksumite, Solomonic, and Gondar periods, with a wide array of artifacts, including an elaborate pre-1st-century-AD bronze oil lamp showing a dog chasing an ibex, a fascinating 4th-century-BC rock-hewn chair emblazoned with mythical ibexes, and ancient Sabean inscriptions. The middle of the room hosts a collection of lavish royal paraphernalia, including Emperor Haile Selassie’s enormous and rather hideous carved wooden throne. On the 1st floor, there’s a vivid display of Ethiopian art ranging from early (possibly 14th century) parchment to 20th-century canvas oil paintings by leading artists. Afewerk Tekle’s massive African Heritage is one of the more noticeable pieces. Another painting depicts the meeting of Solomon and Sheba. The 2nd floor contains a collection of secular arts and crafts, including traditional weapons, jewelry, utensils, clothing, and musical instruments. 

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Holy Trinity Cathedral

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It is a massive and ornate cathedral. It is the final resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie & and Empress Menen Asfaw. The cathedral’s exterior, with its large copper dome, spindly pinnacles, numerous statues, and a flamboyant mixture of international styles, provides an interesting and sometimes poignant glimpse into many historical episodes of Ethiopian history. Inside, there are some grand murals, the most notable being Afewerk Tekle’s depiction of the Holy Trinity, with Matthew (man), Mark (lion), Luke (cow), and John (dove) peering through the clouds. There are also some brilliant stained-glass windows and two beautifully carved imperial thrones, each made of white ebony, ivory, and marble. To the south of the cathedral are the memorial and graves of the ministers killed by the Derg regime in 1974. The churchyard also hosts the graves of many patriots who died fighting the Italian occupation. To the west of the cathedral is the tomb of the famous British suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst.

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Ethnological Museum

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Set within Emperor Haile Selassie’s former palace and surrounded by the beautiful gardens and fountains of Addis Ababa University's main campus is the enthralling Ethnological Museum. The show starts outside, the intriguing set of stairs spiraling precariously skyward near the palace’s main entrance. The Italians placed each step as a symbol of Fascist domination, one for each year Mussolini held power. A small Lion of Judah (the symbol of Ethiopian monarchy) sits victoriously atop the final step. Within the entrance hall, there is a small exhibit dedicated to the history of the palace and doorway to the Institute of Language Studies Library.

On the 1st floor, superb artifacts and handicrafts from Ethiopia’s peoples are distinctively displayed. The displays are based on the life cycle. First comes Childhood, with birth, games, rites of passage, and traditional tales. Adulthood probes into beliefs, nomadism, traditional medicine, war, pilgrimages, hunting, body culture, and handicrafts. The last topic is Death and Beyond, with burial structures, stelae and tombs. The exhibition gives a great insight into Ethiopia’s many rich cultures. Other rooms on this floor show the preserved bedroom, bathroom and exorbitant changing room of Emperor Haile Selassie, seen with a bullet hole in his mirror courtesy of the 1960 coup d’état.

The 2nd floor has two different displays. The hall focuses on religious art, with an exceptional series of diptychs, triptychs, icons, crosses and magic scrolls like the Roman lead scrolls that were used to cast curses on people or to appeal to the gods for divine assistance. The collection of icons is the largest and most representative in the world. Sense of another sort are indulged in the small cave like corridor that sits next to the hall.