By our staff reporter

The upcoming 128th anniversary of the Battle of Adwa is expected to be honored in the majestically newly built facility, Adwa Zero Kilometer Museum Project around the vicinity of Emperor Menelik II Square at the heart of Addis Ababa.

The Adwa Victory Day, which is a national holiday in Ethiopia, celebrated on every March 2, in commemoration of Ethiopian victory against Italy’s colonization effort at the Battle of Adwa in 1896, has since time in memorial been celebrated in front of St. George’s Cathedral and the Addis Ababa City Administration building. This upcoming ceremony is now expected to be celebrated in pomp in a new venue courtesy of the Adwa Zero KM project nearing full completion in a couple of months.

According to the Addis Ababa City Administration Mega Projects Office, the project, which is among the several huge projects handled by the city government in the capital has achieved over 87 percent completion and is well on its way to be accomplished within the coming three months.

The Adwa Zero Kilometer project, which is located centrally, is a popular location since it is adjacent to the capital city’s municipality. The area now combines different facilities including offices, recreation centers, shops besides the memories and museum of the Victory of Adwa that commemorates heroines and heroes, who led the battle and scarified themselves in the battlefield, “It is designed and build to show our forefathers brevity and the continuing struggle of the generation who is working strongly to change the country.”

Dawit Tibebu, Contract Administration Director at Mega Projects Office disclosed that the project is on its final stage, “The facility is on its accomplishment level that all necessary finishing materials have arrived at the site.”

According to Dawit, the facility that is stated as suitable for visitors will be open to the public in the near future.

The complex structure is said to be erected with a combination of latest construction standards and high technology at a cost of 4.6 billion birr.

The facility is being constructed by renown, Chinese Jiangsu International ETCG Ltd on a 3.3 hectare of land covering the space that was fenced prior to the project commencing about four years ago.

The project has 11 blocks with a total area of 45,000 square meters.

The building will accommodate art works that show the history of the Battle of Adwa, archive and research center, cafeterias, two cinema halls, playground-indoor games and children playground, fitness center – aerobics and gymnasium, and of course shops since the area, Piassa, is also well known as a shopping destination in the city.

According to the design, the biggest hall in the city will be located in the same facility, with a multipurpose hall with up to 4,000 seats capacity besides city hall’s 2,000 seats.

The city council and councilor’s office is also said to be moved to the new facility.

According to the Mega Project Office, the facility will have taxi and bus terminals with 1,000 parking lots that is expected to clear the surrounding location making it more attractive and suitable as a walkway for city dwellers.