The Ethnological Museum, Addis Ababa is recognised as one of the finest museums in Africa and no visit to Ethiopia is complete without going there. It is housed in Haile Selassie’s former palace within the grounds of Addis Ababa University’s main campus.
In this article, I will tell you all you need to know about the Ethnological Museum, 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.
As we drove through the main gates and up to the entrance of the building, we were struck by the beauty of the gardens – an oasis of calm away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The fact that the ornamental fountains weren’t operational because it was the dry season didn’t detract from our enjoyment at all.
In this article
Essentials
Location
Algeria Street, Addis Ababa
Opening Times
8.30am – 5.30pm every day
Entrance Fee
100 Birr per person (approximately £2.70/$3.50 US)
Our Visit
Book a Tour
It is perfectly possible to visit the Ethnological Museum independently, but why not book a tour and combine it 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:
The Italian Steps
Before going into the building, we noticed a stone spiral staircase outside which was freestanding and didn’t lead anywhere. Yuhn, our guide, explained that it was built by the Italians as a symbol of Fascist domination. Each step represents a year of Mussolini’s rule, from when he first took power in 1922. A small Lion of Judah, the symbol of the Ethiopian monarchy, sits on the top step as a sign that the Italians were kicked out of Ethiopia.
Ground Floor
There is an exhibition about the history of the palace on the ground floor of the museum, but this isn’t presented in a very interesting way, so it didn’t detain us for long.
Birth to Death and Beyond
On the first floor, though, there is a much more arresting display. The exhibits are shown chronologically – from birth to death and beyond. You get a real insight into the lives of the different peoples of Ethiopia.
The childhood section was fascinating, particularly as we were being shown around by a local. Yuhn was able to relate personal stories which really made the exhibits come alive. For example, table soccer was (and still is) a very popular pastime in Ethiopia, but Yuhn’s Mum wouldn’t let him spend the coppers that it cost to play on a proper table, so he and his friends made their own smaller versions out of empty cooking oil cans. There was one on display, so we were able to understand what he was talking about. It was the same with the homemade footballs crafted out of rags. Yuhn told us how he got into trouble as a boy for using one of his uncle’s socks to stuff a football! He also told us how, as a teenager, he had been given a proper football as a gift, but he couldn’t play with it as it was too light and travelled too far when he kicked it, so he went back to his fabric ball!
Haile Selassie’s Private Apartment
Away from the raison d’etre of the museum, we wandered into side rooms and were intrigued to find ourselves in Haile Selassie’s bedroom, bathroom and changing room. All were very spacious to suit the stature of the man! Yuhn pointed out the bullet hole in the mirror, made during the 1960 failed coup attempt.
Second Floor
The second floor of the museum houses exhibitions of religious art and traditional musical instruments. There is also a display of photographs of Christian Ethiopia by Nick Danziger, accompanied by images of the Queen and Prince Phillip’s 1965 visit to the country. Their signatures in the visitor’s book are proudly displayed.
Outside
Outside the university gates, you can join students and have a drink and a snack in a converted London bus which was brought to Ethiopia by Haile Selassie.
Watch this Video about the Museum
READ MY COMPLETE ADDIS ABABA TRAVEL GUIDE
Further Reading
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