Ethiopia

National Museum of Ethiopia

The Ethiopian National Museum houses the country’s artistic treasures as well as valuable archaeological finds such as the fossilized remains of early hominids, the most famous of which is “Lucy.” A display on Selam, estimated to be 3.3 million years old and considered the earliest child, was recently added. The museum’s exhibitions include archaeological, paleoanthropological, ancient and medieval objects, regalia and memorabilia from former rulers, artwork, and a secular arts and crafts collection. The museum attempts to provide an overview of Ethiopia’s cultural richness and diversity.

• Address: 2QQ6+6P4, Addis Ababa Arada, Ethiopia
• Phone: +251111117150

“Red Terror” Martyrs’ Memorial Museum

The “Red Terror” Martyrs’ Memorial Museum in Addis Ababa was founded in 2010 as a memorial to those who died during the Derg government’s Red Terror. Torture instruments, skulls and bones, coffins, bloody clothes, and photographs of victims are on display at the museum. Guides describe the history leading up to the Red Terror (beginning with Haile Selassie’s 80th birthday celebration), the actions taken against citizens who opposed the Derg, how the prisoners were treated, and how they secretly communicated among themselves during free tours of the museum. The museum also includes a photographic history of the Red Terror.

• Address: 2Q67+272, Africa Ave, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Website

The Ethnological Museum

It is in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. It is a public museum devoted to ethnology and culture. The Ethnological Museum is home to anthropological, musical, and cultural artifacts. The Ethnological Museum is Ethiopia’s first university museum. The Museum is located on Addis Ababa University’s main campus, which also houses the Institute of Ethiopian Studies. It was founded in 1950, largely on the collections of old Italian zoological species and ethnographic artifacts amassed by the College’s first graduates. Stanislaw Chojnaki, the former chief librarian of the University College of Addis Ababa, came up with the idea for the museum.

• Address: 2QW5+P3Q, Algeria St, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Phone: +251111231068

Zoma Museum Addis Ababa

Zoma Museum Addis Ababa is a dream inspired 25 years ago by the timeless and structurally sound vernacular architecture of Ethiopia and other parts of the world. It is named after Zoma Shiferraw, a young artist who died of cancer in 1979. The mission of The Zoma Museum Of African Art is to learn and bring into the present construction techniques that have stood the test of time and weathering while retaining their grace and beauty. The goal of this African Art Museum is to showcase innovative and cutting-edge art and architecture in a vernacular museum where the old and the new collide.

• Address: Mekanisa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Phone: +251942169189
• Website