Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is a relatively young city in its current location, being found by Emperor Menelik II in the late 19th century. At first sited atop Mt. Entoto for it's defensibility, the city moved downhill, making the many hot springs more accessible. The last picture, albeit it hazy, it taken from Entoto overlooking the modern city. Entoto is now a city park.
The 1st picture is the statue of the Lion of Judah, one of the names for the Emperor. The Solomonic Dynasty, of which Haile Selassie was the last emperor, traces it's lineage through Menelik, said to be the son of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba.
The 2nd picture is Meskel Square, the main meeting place for celebrations, protests, and all manner of public activity.
The 3rd picture is the African Union headquarters. Ethiopia was a founding member of both the League of Nations and the UN. They have been active in multinational work for a long time, and finding the AU headquarters here follows in that tradition.
The 4th picture is of a small part of the large fabric market where all manner of clothes, from shirts to wedding dresses are made and sold.
The 5th and 6th pictures are of the Merkato, said to be the largest market in Africa. The market has areas where particular goods are concentrated. Like the industry in the fabric market, you can probably find someone making just about anything. A large part of this industry is recycling, from rehabbing goods to recycling pretty much everything.Read more