MENÉLIK II PALACE - UNITY PARK

Menelik II Palace, also known as Gebi or Imperial Palace, was rebuilt by the emperor after the fire of 1892. When it was built, Swiss engineer Alfred llg caused a sensation by installing a running water system. As with all imperial palaces, the banqueting hall is particularly impressive. Formerly the residence of the Prime Minister and the government, it opened its doors to the public in 2019 under its new name of Unity Park. The park was restored with $160 million from Saudi Arabia. Dedicated to tourism, its completion symbolizes "the ability of Ethiopians to come together", according to its instigator, Prime Minister Abyi Ahmed. The site of torture under the communist regime of Mengistu's Derg (1974-1991), it features a sword that once belonged to Menelik II and a life-size statue of Emperor Haile Selassie. Other statues symbolizing the various regions of Ethiopia are scattered throughout the park, while a zoo has also opened its doors.

Mausoleum of Menelik II. To the south of the Menelik or Gebi palace, this mausoleum, also known as the Bete Maryam Mausoleum, was built in 1911 by Empress Zewditou, the emperor's daughter. Square in shape, topped by domes and a central dome dominated by a golden crown, it houses the remains of Emperor Menelik, his wife Empress Taïtu and their daughter, as well as Princess Tsehaï, daughter of Haile Selassie.