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Menelik II statue
Source: commons.wikimedia.org4 photos
Photos from Menelik II Square's own website and pages. Open a photo to see where it came from.
Landmark
Menelik II Square
The square in Piassa with the statue of Emperor Menelik II on horseback
- Area
- Piassa
Menelik II Square is in Piassa, in the Arada district of Addis Ababa. A bronze statue of Emperor Menelik II on a horse stands in the centre.
Good for
- Free entry
- Visitors
- Bronze statue of Emperor Menelik II on a horse
- Next to St George Cathedral
- Short walk from the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum
- Free entry
Menelik II Square is in Piassa, in the Arada district. It is one of the main squares of the old city centre.
What to see
A bronze statue of Emperor Menelik II on a horse stands in the middle of the square. The emperor founded Addis Ababa and led Ethiopia at the Battle of Adwa in 1896. The statue stands on a high stone pedestal inside a round garden.
St George Cathedral is next to the square. The cathedral carries the name of the saint because its Tabot went to the Battle of Adwa. The Adwa Victory Memorial Museum, which opened in 2024, is a short walk away.
History
The square has a place in the history of Ethiopian theatre. The Hager Fikir association staged its first shows in the open air at Menelik Square in the 1930s. The Hager Fikir Theatre is still in Piassa.
The first market of the city stood in this area, near St George Church. During the Italian occupation the market moved west to Merkato, and this area got the name Piazza.
Getting there
Minibuses from Arat Kilo, Mexico and Merkato go to Piassa. Churchill Avenue starts a short distance south of the square.
Good to know
Entry is free. The square is a busy traffic circle, so use the crossings. Allow 15 minutes, and add the cathedral and the Adwa memorial to the same walk.
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Frequently asked questions
Where is the statue of Menelik II in Addis Ababa?
The statue stands in the middle of Menelik II Square in Piassa, next to St George Cathedral.
What is near Menelik II Square?
St George Cathedral, the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum and the Hager Fikir Theatre are near the square.
Sources
- Arada (district of Addis Ababa), Wikipedia
- St. George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa, Wikipedia
- Hager Fikir Theatre, Wikipedia
- Addis Mercato, Wikipedia
- Photo: Plaza de Menelik II, Adís Abeba, Etiopía, 2024-01-19, DD 24.jpg by Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Photo: Menelik II statue 5.JPG by Sculptor: Karl Haertel, died 1941, Photographer Vob08, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Photo: Emperor Menelik II (2141756150).jpg by Sculptor: Karl Haertel, died 1941, Photographer A. Davey from Where I Live Now: , CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Photo: Statue équestre de Ménélik II.jpg by Jahsensie, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Profile last reviewed November 12, 2026.
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Landmark
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Yekatit 12 Monument
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Restaurant
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Old Ethiopian restaurant in Piassa with injera dishes, a bar and private rooms
Museum
Adwa Victory Memorial Museum
Memorial and museum in Piassa for the 1896 victory at Adwa, opened in 2024
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