St George's Cathedral, Addis Ababa

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The octagonal St. George's Cathedral is a traditional Ethiopian shaped church that was built in 1896. It commemorates the relic of St. George which was carried into the Battle of Adwa where the Italian Army was soundly defeated. In 1930 the church hosted the coronation of Emperor Haile Selassie I. There is an excellent museum within the grounds and the coronation chair is also on display. The cathedral also houses the work of Afewerk Tekle, the renowned Ethiopian artist responsible for the stained glass windows of the Africa Hall. Inside are also murals of scenes from the life of Emperors Menelik and Haile Selassie. Open 8-9am and 12-2pm daily.

St Georges Cathedral is really worth a visit. Emperor Haile Selassie had his coronation there in 1930 and it is a world pilgrimage place for Rastafarians. It is octagonal in shape and full of paintings inside. The priest in charge gave us a tour which included the playing of the various musical instruments used in worship, and even singing and dancing. I found it a very peaceful and relaxing place in the middle of a very busy city.

A word of warning though! Becareful when walking in the cathedral grounds not to tread on the tortoises there which cunningly seem to look like rocks!

There is also a great museum in the grounds. From the outside it looks quite small and not promising. However, it is full of fantastic artifacts from Ethiopian history and the cathedrals background. This includes many robes including those worn by Emporer Haile Selassie. Very much worth taking an hour out to visit the museum.

It opens from 08:00 to 09:00, and then again 12:00 to 14:00.

It was built by Emperor Menelik in 1896. Haile Selassie was crowned Emperor here in 1930. It has an interesting museum next to the church (entrance fee is 10 Birr, which is about $1US), containing some very interesting religious artifacts and items relating to the coronation of Haile Selassie, such as crowns and manuscripts. One thing I can recommend to do, to climb to the top of a tower in museum, you get a great view of Addis Ababa. The church itself is Ethiopian Orthodox, it is octagonal in shape and the interior is covered in the most colorful and beautiful murals.