Description

Tucked away at the outskirts of Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, a group of civilian and military cemeteries tells the story of the Armenian, Greek, Italian and other smaller communities in Addis Ababa during the 20th century and their contribution to the development of he country to the few visitors who know of their existence. The author was able to identify more than 3700 tombs in the Greek Orthodox, Armenian and Catholic cemeteries at Gulele, Addis Ababa. The Cimitero Militare Italiano and the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, situated side by side, are testimony to the history of Ethiopia between 1935 and 1941. The small Jewish cemetery is even less known than the Christian cemeteries at Gulele. Another small cemetery is located - off limits - in the British Embassy Compound. All these cemeteries are a part of Ethiopia's history and a symbol for the hospitality the Ethiopian people offered to foreigners.