# Ethiopia Opens Its Secret Imperial Palace to the Public for the First Time > Discover what the hidden palace complex above Addis Ababa concealed: for over a century only the nation's leaders were allowed inside, and now travelers can visit too. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/efiopiya-tayemnyy-imperatorskyy-palats/ - Language: en - Published: 2023-11-22 - Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Museums, Tours, Ethiopia, Events --- For more than a century, a secret imperial palace complex loomed over Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, sealed off to everyone except the country's leaders and the troops who guarded them. Almost hidden from view on a wooded escarpment, this forbidden 40-acre compound was unknown even to some of the people living right below it. Behind its walls, plots were hatched, conquests were planned, and dark deeds were carried out. Elite soldiers with red berets and AK-47s stood watch from guard towers spaced around the perimeter. Pedestrians had to keep to the far side of the road that circled the complex. If a car broke down, it too had to be pushed over to the far side. The soldiers are still there today, but after the renovation of the section where Ethiopia's rulers had lived since the days of Emperor Menelik II, the curtain has finally been drawn back. Locals and tourists are now welcome in the 15-acre Unity Park, built on the grounds of the palace complex. While the palace remains the residence of the prime minister, the land has been officially handed over to the city of Addis Ababa. The reconstruction work was carried out at the direction of charismatic Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and roughly 170 million dollars was spent on it. "Getting in here is really exciting, because I'm Ethiopian and I never knew what used to be here," says Akilu Fikreselassie, who works in urban development for the UN. "It will show people that they have access to their leaders and help build trust. Having a park will also help change the dynamic of the city." Beyond symbolizing a government meant to leave an authoritarian past behind, the opening of the park is part of ongoing efforts to beautify a fast-growing city of five million residents and booming construction. For all its vibrant charms, Addis Ababa is a concrete jungle of a city where it is hard to find the open green spaces that give locals and weary travelers a break from the relentless cacophony. ## Orange Hippos "It's a very impressive sight," said Michael Raynor, the American ambassador to Ethiopia, surveying the park during the inaugural event in early October. "This is a new asset for society. Addis has been struggling to have the kind of open space that any world capital needs." The park is a blend of neatly arranged open areas, restored palace buildings, and animal enclosures. There is a sense of playfulness and whimsy in the park's layout and design, a contrast to the grim eras the palace lived through, when purges were plotted and prisoners were tortured within its walls. Now whimsical sculptures and orange hippos half-submerged in the grass dot the path that winds up from the entrance to the palace complex of Menelik, who reigned as emperor from 1889 to 1913. Behind the throne house, where the golden headdresses of Menelik and other former emperors such as Lij Iyasu and Haile Selassie are kept, lies a network of old buildings where Menelik and his family lived. All of them have been restored and brought back to life with a bit of grease and paint. Menelik's private quarters include a raised walkway to the so-called "Egg House," an elaborate tower with intricate wooden carvings adorning its spiral staircase. Around it stand the quarters of Empress Taytu, along with other buildings that housed the princes, princesses, and guests who came to pay their respects to the emperor and present their petitions. Various historical artifacts, such as Menelik's curved swords, his parasol, and his fly whisk, along with panels of historical information, are scattered through the rooms, lit by the bright Addis sun pouring through the windows. Opposite the Throne House is an open plaza with various amenities, including snack bars, a bookshop, and a cafe serving coffee that is slow-roasted and brewed the traditional Ethiopian way, or more quickly using fancy Italian espresso machines. "It means so much that we can open up here," says Selome Tadesse, owner of the Addis-based coffee chain Emoles, which favors the faster method. "Both from a historical point of view and from the chance to bring in a new style, to mix old and new for a new generation, which is really nice." Tadesse admits they had to rush to get everything ready in time for inauguration day, and says Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who led the project and was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, came to the cafe in person to see how things were going. ## An Old Military Camp ![](/storage/image/prev/Efiopia-1-Palac-1024x683.jpg) In a nearby impressionist sculpture garden stand nine pavilions representing the country's nine regions, each showcasing the vibrant culture and traditions found in such a diverse and historically rich nation. This is a far cry from the days under Mengistu Haile Mariam, who led Ethiopia's military junta in the 1970s, when the palace grounds were little more than a run-down military camp of dreary office buildings, with the banquet hall and surrounding palaces left neglected. Indian specialists from Gujarat and Punjab were brought in to restore the banquet hall, since architects from those two Indian states had taken part in its original construction. Ethiopia's summer rainy season, the latest of which was especially heavy, posed challenges for the large-scale landscaping and reconstruction work. That is why not all of the animals had moved in by inauguration day, and the park still needed a few finishing touches. But nothing extra needs to be done about the breathtaking view of the Addis Ababa skyline. The park looks out over a panorama of high-rises and construction cranes scattered across the city, which sprawls over hills basking in the bright, high-altitude air, with the silhouettes of surrounding hills fading into the distance. The park is also home to a zoo that will house wild dogs, cheetahs, lions, baboons, monkeys, flamingos, and an aviary. A separate enclosure is home to the Abyssinian lion, native to Ethiopia (the males have a black mane), and is built to mimic the cave complex that is the lion's natural habitat. A 175-meter tunnel running through and beneath the complex lets visitors get an even closer look at this legendary Ethiopian resident. Tickets to the park cost 200 Ethiopian birr for locals (about $7), and 1,000 birr for a full-day pass with a guide. Foreigners pay 20 dollars for entry and 50 dollars for the full-day package. The park is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Among the group of doormen handing out bright yellow meskel flowers to guests who arrived on inauguration day, opinions about the park were divided. ## A Turbulent Past "It's beautiful, I love it, and I'll definitely come back here with my friends," says 21-year-old Metti Edesa, who added that she had already signed up on the park's website for her friends (the number of visitors per day will be limited, so booking online is recommended). Her colleague, 24-year-old Kalkidan Kedir, says that seeing the park once was probably enough for her, noting that the recent promotional campaign made it look more appealing than it really is, though she admits that "it's always like that." A couple of kilometers away sits another secluded historical enclave, the Jubilee Palace, former home of Emperor Haile Selassie, with stone Lions of Judah adorning the entrance, where Ethiopia's current president, Sahle-Work Zewde, resides. The president's residence is set to move and join the prime minister's at the Imperial Palace complex, while the Jubilee Palace is to open to visitors in the first half of next year. After several years of strong growth in the tourism industry, the ongoing civil unrest across Ethiopia (Addis Ababa itself remains relatively insulated) and the accompanying stories in international media may well explain the scarcity of foreigners to be seen around the city. Mid-October marks the start of the peak tourist season in Ethiopia, when the constant rains give way to long, sunny days. The hope is that the opening of Unity Park and the projects that follow will breathe new life into the tourism sector of one of the world's most intriguing and enchanting countries, as it works to shake off the legacy of a turbulent past.