Things to see and do Mékélé

The museum is housed in the former palace of Emperor Yohannes (1872-1889), built on a hilltop overlooking the city. The architecture of this palace-fortress is surprisingly almost Art Deco in style. On the first floor, the hall houses a collection of weapons, coins, musical instruments and everyday objects, as well as manuscripts, icons and crosses from the ^16th and ^17th centuries. The royal apartments feature French furniture, as well as a variety of war dress and ceremonial outfits. The terrace was once an important venue for ceremonies.

Mékélé is a hub for salt from Danakil. If you're hoping to come across a caravan delivering salt, you have to travel to the Danakil desert on Lake Assalé, or get to the salt market in Agulae, 35 km from Mékélé, early in the morning. A 4/5 kg block of salt sells for between 20 and 25 birr. Once free, the market is now organized into small corrugated iron stalls, which have lost some of their charm. The permanent spice market is well worth a visit.

Located on the heights of Mekélé, this monument dedicated to the martyrs of the war in Tigray used to be accompanied by an interesting museum on the recent war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Interesting photos and weapons were on display, some of which are still frequently found in the countryside. Unfortunately, with the terrible new war in Tigray taking place in 2020-2021, these painful memories have been reawakened, and it is likely that a new memorial will one day be erected in memory of the 600,000 who died in this conflict.