By Ani Aslanian
Addis Ababa is the capital of Ethiopia and the seat of
the African Union. Taking a stroll through the capital today, you may be
entirely unaware of the extensive Armenian presence in the city during the
modernization period of Ethiopia. Although Armenians and Ethiopians share a
long history as members of the same branch of Orthodox Christianity, there is a
lesser-known story regarding the contributions of Armenians in Addis Ababa and
how they transformed a newly born agricultural town into a thriving capital of
culture and commerce.During the early 1900s, under the rule of Emperor Menelik
II, there were approximately 50 Armenians in Addis Ababa. (Queen Menen and Emperor Haile Selassie, photographed by Haigaz Boyadjian.)









































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