On our second day with Yuhn of Liyu Tours, I wanted to visit the two main churches in Addis Ababa, Holy Trinity Cathedral and St. George Cathedral, not least because I was interested to see Sylvia Pankhurst’s grave.
In this article, I will tell you all you need to know about the two main cathedrals in Addis Ababa. For information on other places to visit in this amazing city, as well as travel tips, please read my Addis Ababa Travel Guide.
In this article
Holy Trinity Cathedral, Addis Ababa
Essentials
Location
Niger Street, Addis Ababa
Opening Times
- Cathedral – Monday to Friday 8am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm
- Museum – Monday to Friday 8am to 12 noon and 2pm to 5pm
Entry Fee
Buy your tickets in the administration office to the west of the main gate. It costs 100 Birr per person (£2.70/$3.50 US) for entry to both the cathedral and the museum. It is worthwhile paying an extra 20 or 30 Birr per person for a personal guide to show you around.
Exterior
This massive and ornate cathedral is rectangular in shape, built to resemble the Ark of the Covenant. It was constructed to commemorate Ethiopia’s liberation from Italian occupation and is the second most important place of worship for the Ethiopian Orthodox religion, after the Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Aksum.
The exterior, with its large copper dome and spindly pinnacles, incorporates a flamboyant mixture of international styles, resulting in a visual feast for the visitor.
Interior
Inside, we were struck by the beautiful stained glass windows telling the most famous stories from the Bible. There were also some fabulous murals, the most notable being Afewerk Tekle’s depiction of the Holy Trinity with Matthew represented by a man, Mark depicted as a lion, Luke as a cow, and John as a dove, all shown peering through the clouds.
We were interested to see a plaque ‘dedicated by his Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, to the memory of those British officers and other ranks who, together with Ethiopian patriots, sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Ethiopia 1940 – 1942’.
We were also able to view the massive Aksumite-style granite tombs of Haile Selassie himself and his wife, Empress Menen Asfaw.
The Grounds
The churchyard hosts the graves of many patriots who died fighting the Italian occupation, including the great Resistance fighter Ras Imru. To the west of the cathedral is the tomb of the famous British suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst. Sylvia was one of the very few people outside Ethiopia who protested Italy’s occupation; she moved to Addis Ababa in 1956.
To the south of the cathedral is the memorial and graves of Haile Selassie’s ministers killed by the Derg for their opposition to the coup in 1974. Due to the prime minister’s compound being behind this memorial, it is strictly forbidden to take photos.
On the north side is the tomb of Meles Zenawi, prime minister of Ethiopia until his sudden death in 2012.
The Museum
The entrance fee also includes admission to a small but impressive museum of ecclesiastical artefacts which we were shown around by a very knowledgeable guide.
At the end of our visit, I felt that I understood much more about the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, something which was to stand me in good stead as we embarked on our trip around northern Ethiopia.
St. George Cathedral
Essentials
Location
Fitawrari Gebeyehu Street, Addis Ababa
Opening Times
Tuesday to Sunday – 9am to 12 noon and 2pm to 5pm
Entry Fee
100 Birr per person (£2.70/$3.50 US) for entry to both the cathedral and the museum, including a guide.
The Cathedral
St. George Cathedral is an impressive octagonal building erected in the early years of the 20th century by Emperor Menelik II to commemorate Ethiopia’s first defeat of the Italians at Adwa in 1896. The cathedral is dedicated to St. George, Ethiopia’s patron saint. We were to see so many images of George and the dragon as we journeyed around Ethiopia.
The cathedral is probably the most beautiful of Addis’s churches. The severe grey stone exterior in the neoclassical style belies the stunning colour and art found inside. Greek, Armenian and Indian artists helped with the interior. Sections of ceiling glow sky-blue and boast gilded stars. The outer walls of the innermost shrine are covered in paintings and mosaics by the renowned Ethiopian artist, Afewerk Tekle.
Empress Zewditu (in 1916) and Emperor Haile Selassie (in 1930) were both crowned in St. George Cathedral.
The Museum
In the grounds just north of the cathedral is the museum. It’s included on the church admission ticket. It is well presented and contains probably the best collection of ecclesiastical paraphernalia in the country outside St Mary of Zion in Aksum. Items include beautiful crowns, crosses, prayer sticks, holy scrolls, ceremonial umbrellas and the coronation garb of Zewditu and Haile Selassie.
Book a Tour
It is perfectly possible to visit the cathedrals independently, but why not book a tour and combine them with several other destinations in the city?
Whenever we visit a new destination, we book a tour with a local guide. There’s no better way to get under the skin of a place! We use Viator when we want to uncover interesting things to do in a new city. They’re easy to use and book with, and we’ve had some amazing experiences with them.
Check out these tours:
READ MY COMPLETE ADDIS ABABA TRAVEL GUIDE
Further Reading
Search for Accommodation in Addis Ababa
Look for Flights to Addis Ababa
If you like what you’ve read, PIN IT!!
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through for more information, or to make a purchase, it may result in a small commission coming my way. Please note that there is no extra cost to you associated with this. Thank you so much for supporting my site.
Join our mailing list
Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter. Keep up with what we're doing and be the first to receive special offers and insider tips.
