ABA JIFAR'S PALACE

This original building is the work of Aba Jifar, sixth ruler of a powerful Muslim Oromo dynasty established in the ^18th century. He reigned from 1877 to 1933, the last of his name, and spent a lot of money on this palace: 400 kg of gold and 65,000 Marie-Thérèse silver coins, the currency in use at the time. Impressively tall at 2.10 m, he retained his prerogatives despite the expansion of the Christian kingdom, thanks to his friendly relations with Emperor Menelik II, to whom he nevertheless had to pay substantial taxes. He also stabilized his power by marrying six women from the surrounding provinces. On his death, Emperor Haile Selassie took over the administration of the province, putting an end to the Oromo dynasty. Strongly influenced by Indian architecture, the building comprises, on the first floor, the family mosque and the reception hall, where a window higher than the others gives the giant a view of the outside world. Upstairs are the courtroom and private apartments arranged around an inner courtyard. The whole complex is dominated by a watchtower with windows looking out towards the provinces of Choa, Kaffa and Welega, as well as the town of Jimma below. The palace's furnishings may be a little sparse, but its originality and the view it affords of the city make it worthwhile. The sovereign's tomb is located on the road leading to the palace, some 1.5 km away.