Introducing Addis Ababa University’s Oldest Building

Many of you, dear readers, have visited the Institute of Ethiopian Studies Museum – but few have perhaps toured the Addis Ababa campus’s oldest extant building. It is that edifice with which we are concerned today.

Emperor Menelik, Ras Makonnen, and Ras Tafari
To explain the background to our story we must recall that today’s University – at Siddist Kilo - forms the core of a large estate allotted by Emperor Menelik, around 1890, to his cousin Ras Makonnen. This land was subsequently inherited by the latter’s son, Ras Tafari Makonnen, the future Emperor Haile Sellassie.
Tafari, it may be recalled, was the Regent, much concerned with foreign affairs. He succeeded in 1923 in gaining Ethiopia’s entry into the then newly established League of Nations’ and in the following year undertook an important State Visit to a number of European countries. At about this time, or shortly afterwards, he decided to build a Palace on European lines – and to call it the Amsala Gannat, or Image of Paradise Palace.
The Regent’s compound, as Alexander Powell, a contemporary American traveler, testifies in his book Beyond the Utmost Purple Rim, at that time lacked any substantial building. The compound consisted instead of “congeries of low inconspicuous buildings, surrounded by extensive gardens which commanded a view of the premises of the Imperial Club with its race-course and polo - field” – a reference to the huge open expanse of land which we now know as Jan-Hoy Meda, or Jan Meda.
Britain, France and Italy
Ethiopia was then under intense pressure from the three neighbouring colonial powers, Britain, France, and Italy, which by the Tripartite Treaty of 1906 had partitioned the country into three spheres of economic interest. Ethiopia’s relations with the latter country, Italy, were particularly sensitive, as the fascist – and militaristic - dictator Benito Mussolini had seized power in 1922.
In an attempt to improve relations with Italy it was arranged that the Duke of Abruzzi, a cousin of Victor Emmanuele III, the then King of Italy, should visit Addis Ababa – and stay in the Regent’s new Palace.
This latter decision is mentioned in Haile Sellassie’s subsequent Autobiography. Recalling the Duke’s visit, which took place in 1927 – five years after Mussolini’s “March on Rome”, he writes:
“We took in hand the building of a new palace, in which he was to stay, within the precincts of our palace, and it was completed within a brief period. The house was called ‘The Duke’s House’ and used to be known by this name up to the end of the war” – i.e. the war of 1935-41 with fascist Italy.
Beautifully Constructed
The Palace, as you will see, dear reader, by visiting it, was beautifully constructed. A grand stepped approach to a double door was guarded by two stone lions. An inner staircase and well-polished parquet floors added to the finery, as did the elaborate chandeliers, lamp-shades and sparkling mirrors. No less impressive were the large and elaborately carved fire-places.
German Traveler
A rare glimpse of the Amsale Gannat Palace, in 1928 - only a year or so after its construction, is provided by the German traveler Hermann Norden. Arriving at the same time as an expedition from the Field Museum of Chicago, he recalls that “a line of armed soldiers outside the gibbi [i.e. Palace] saluted the guests as they entered”.
“When all the guests had assembled”, Norden continues, “we were conducted into the throne room, where the Negus awaited us. The light was dim but adequate to reveal the beauty of the rugs and the splendour of the gold throne standing on the dias and canopied with red velvet. The latest heir to the throne of Solomon’s son stood on the first of four steps leading to the platform”.
“The dining-room of the Palace is finished in European fashion. The gold table-servic was the work of the court jeweler, who is not an Abyssinian, but an Armenian, and had made the crown lately assumed by Ras Tafari. From across the table little Prince Makonnen [the Duke of Harar] favoured me with a boyish grin…”
The room was equipped with one of the earliest cinematographs in Ethiopia – so that after dinner “the great hall’, we are told, “became a moving picture theatre”.
A further account of the Palace is given by a member of the Field Expedition, James Baum. He states that the Regent, though “dignified always was also a cordial and engaging host”.
Echoing Norden’s account of the Palace Guards, Baum continues:
“At the gateway to the outer strong wall a squad of soldiers stood at attention, rifles at the salute. A bugler blew a call, strange to us, and we passed along a roadway bordered with eucalyptus trees. At the inner gate more guards saluted and at the main entrance two files of guards were drawn up. We were ushered in without delay,
“It was a formal diplomatic dinner and twenty [guests] were there before us, most of the foreign legations were represented, the drawing-room was spacious and done in the best European taste. A large portrait of Menelik hung opposite a spirited battle scene from one of Napoleon’s campaigns, An autographed photograph of Albert, King of the Belgians, stood on a small table. The Prince of Wales, framed in silver decorated another. The furniture, draperies and curtains were French.
“Tafari Makonnen, seated beside his wife Wazero Menin rose as we entered, shaking hands cordially with each guest in turn. Two or three native interpreters circulating about the room made conversation in an assemblage of such widely different languages quite simple. The dinner service was of solid gold mined from the rocks of the Abyssinian mountains and the china bore the crest of Ethiopia – a lion marching with a flag - and the whole affair went off as any formal dinner might in New York, Paris or London”.
Baum returned to the Palace shortly afterwards for tea, after which, he recalls, “by way of diversion a small lion cub was brought in and turned loose on the floor …to the great confusion of the Ras’s little brown dog that had been romping around the room. The lion was not more than two feet high, but stalked about trying to imitate a full-grown felix leo, growling and showing baby teeth threateningly. Tafari Makonnen was greatly amused at the cub’s attempt to be fierce…”
Declined in Importance
|The Amsale Gannat Palace declined in importance in 1935 when it was replaced by the Gannata Le’ul, or Princely Paradise Palace - currently the site of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies Library and Museum.
After the Emperor granted his Palace compound to the University, in 1961, the Amsale Gannat Palace was allocated to the Faculty of Law – which it still serves. The building is, however, an historic edifice - which deserves preservation (as well as some badly needed restoration work!), and, dear reader, is well worth a visit.