National Museum of Ethiopia

About this place

The National Museum of Ethiopia is a museum in Addis Ababa, near the graduate school of Addis Ababa University, holding the artistic and archaeological treasures of the country. Its best-known piece is the partial skeleton known as Lucy, among the most important finds in the study of ancient human fossils. It is fairly small, yet it offers a good way into the long history of Ethiopia before you travel north. The idea of a museum first appeared in 1936 with an exhibition of ceremonial costumes donated by the ruling family, and the museum was formally established in 1958. Its collections grew as excavations advanced across the country. The basement recently gained a display on Selam, a fossil found between 2000 and 2004 and estimated at about 3.3 million years old. In the basement you see the human fossils, and above them pieces from the kingdoms of Aksum and D'mt, including vessels and bronze lamps. Another hall has the crowns and weapons of Ethiopian emperors and modern paintings by Ethiopian artists. On the front of the building a large stained-glass panel deserves a look before you go in. A small quiet garden surrounds the building. It is about 2 km in a straight line from central Addis Ababa and about 1 km from Holy Trinity Cathedral, so you can combine them in one visit. Carry birr, and ask before taking photos in the halls.