Ethiopia 12, Addis Ababa, Ethnological Museum2

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ETHIOPIA
Addis Ababa
Ethnological Museum
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ADDIS ABABA
Addis Ababa (the name means 'new flower') is of
fairly recent origin - Menelik II founded the
city in 1887 but is an important administrative
centre not only for Ethiopia but also for the
whole of Africa. Situated in the foothills of the
Entoto Mountains and standing 2,400 metres above
sea level it is the third highest capital in the
world. The city has a population of about four
million.
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Set within Haile Selassies former palace and
surrounded by the beautiful gardens and fountains
of Addis Ababa Universitys main campus is the
enthralling Ethnological Museum. Some rooms on
first floor show the preserved bedroom, bathroom
and exorbitant changing room of Emperor Haile
Selassie, complete with a bullet hole in his
mirror courtesy of the 1960 coup détat. In the
1950s scholars started to collect artifacts from
all over the country in co-operation with the
former Ethnological Society of the University
College of Addis Ababa. This collection is the
basis for the Institute of Ethiopian Studies
today, as well as for the museum. It is located
in one of the former palaces of the late emperor
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A small staircase, which does not reflect the
remainder of the palace, leads to the first floor
and ends in a portal, where one of the favorite
lions of Haile Selassie is stuffed.
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Following the corridor you enter the former
reception hall, where an outstanding
anthropological exhibition will give an overview
of the typical traditions of the country from
birth to death. A wide range of topics is shown
childhood, games, rites, food and drinks,
nomadism, body culture, traditional medicine, as
well as burial customs
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on the same floor the bedrooms of both the late
Empress on the right, and the Emperor on the left
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Haile Selassie was overthrown and imprisoned by
the military on September 12, 1974 and later
executed by the Derg (Military Committee)
including his cabinet members, monarchist, and
the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo
Church
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Haile Selassie ruled Ethiopia for 45 years before
he was overthrown by the Marxist dictator
Mengistu Haile Mariam in 1974. The 81-year-old
emperor was detained in his palace by Mengistu's
soldiers. He died a year later, many believe
murdered by his captors. His remains were found
in 1992, buried under a toilet in the Imperial
Palace.
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More than 35 years have passed since his death,
but his legacy still lives on. Haile Selassie is
one of the founding fathers of the OAU and is
viewed by many as the figurehead of African
independence, for his defiance against the
Italian colonial invasion in the 1930s. He is
also revered by the million-strong Rastafarian
community, who believe that the Ethiopian emperor
either remains alive and well, or ascended bodily
into heaven.
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Compared with the pompous bed and other
furniture, the Emperor had a rather small desk at
his disposal, just fitting near the window.
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The Gannata Leul Palace was the site, during the
emperors absence on a State visit to Brazil on
13 December 1960, of an abortive coup d etat,
led by Colonel Mengestu Neway, Commander of the
Imperial Bodyguard, and his brother Germame Neway
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Crown Prince Asfa Wossen was pressured into
broadcasting in favor of a new government,
committed to the progress of the country and its
people. Nineteen prominent officials, including
Ato Makonnen Habta Wald, Minister of Commerce,
Ras Abebe Arregay, Minister of War and Ras
Seyoum, Governor of Tigray, were detained in the
Palaces Green Salon, where, on the collapse of
the coup, they were shot.
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Though put down by the army and air force, the
coup signaled the beginning of the end of
imperial rule in Ethiopia. On 12 September 1974
Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed by a radical
military group known as the Derg (Committee),
unceremoniously bundled into the back of a
Volkswagen, and driven away to prison. Ministers,
nobles and close confidants of the emperor were
also arrested by the Derg. The absolute power of
the emperor and the divine right of rule of the
century-old imperial dynasty was finished
forever?
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Next you enter a small dressing room complete
with gifts for the Emperor, including miniature
cannons and guns
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This astonishing silver and gold bowl weighs
almost two kilograms and yet is made fine
filigree. Commissioned from an Ethiopian
craftsman (the palace commissioned filigree
silver from one local Addis Ababa craftsman in
particular in the 1960s), it was presented by His
Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie, Emperor of
Ethiopia, to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,
the ruler of Abu Dhabi, most probably in 1969. A
crest of the Emperor is worked into the design of
the bowl
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The gold minaudiere that Emperor Haile Selassie
gave as a gift to Jackie when she was First Lady.
Evidently because it was a gift of State, it was
supposed to be left with the government, but
Jackie took it anyway, later gave it to her
sister Lee, who later sold it at auction
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Some of Haile Selassie's family were executed by
firing squad, others were imprisoned
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the Emperors bathroom is surprisingly in a
European 1930s style, with a light blue bath,
toilet and double washbasin.
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Empress Menen Asfaw (1891-1962), Haile Selassie's
wife
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When Haile Selassie was enthroned in 1930, he
became not only emperor of Ethiopia, but also god
to the fledgling Rastafarian movement in Jamaica
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Ras Lumumba, a Sudanese Rastafarian who came to
settle in Ethiopia three years ago, says the
Emperor is their Messiah or Jah. "Haile Selassie
is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the
conquering lion of the Tribe of Judah. He is
everything to us Rastafarians and we will never
accept that he is dead."
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In 1992 the body of Haile Selassie was finally
discovered. It had been unceremoniously buried
beneath Derg leader, Colonel Mengistus, old
presidential office toilet
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The Great Unifier Emperor Tewodros II of
Ethiopia Téwodros II baptized as Sahle Dingil,
(and often referred to in English by the
equivalent Theodore II) (1818 1868) was the
Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death
Princess Yeshashwork Yilma Mekonnen, Emperor
Hiale Sellassie's Niece
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Empress Taytu and Menelik II Ethiopia 1883-1910
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Menelik II (1844-1913), is the emperor of
Abyssinia (1889-1910). At the height of his
internal power and external prestige, the process
of territorial expansion and creation of the
modern empire-state had been completed by 1898.
Menelik II was fascinated by modernity, and like
Tewodros II before him, had a keen ambition to
introduce Western technological and
administrative advances into Ethiopia
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Text Internet Pictures Sanda Foisoreanu
Jean Moldovan Alin
Samochis Sanda Negrutiu
Internet All  copyrights  belong to their
 respective owners Presentation Sanda
Foisoreanu
2014
Sound Dawit Ferew Hailu - Instrumental
music