Old photos of Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, was founded in the 1880s when Emperor Menelik II moved his camp from the hill of Entoto to the hot springs on the plateau below. His wife, Empress Taytu, is credited with choosing the site and giving it the name, which means new flower. Menelik's palace, the church of St George and the compounds of nobles formed the first nuclei of a scattered settlement rather than a planned town. The city's role was confirmed by the arrival of the railway from the port of Djibouti in 1917.

Under Emperor Haile Selassie, crowned in 1930, Addis Ababa acquired ministries, schools, a cathedral and wide avenues. It was occupied by Italy from 1936 to 1941, and the Italians built new markets, quarters and roads. After liberation it became a diplomatic centre for the continent: the Organisation of African Unity was founded here in 1963, and its successor, the African Union, still has its headquarters in the city, as does the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

Old photographs of Addis Ababa typically show the churches of St George and Holy Trinity, the imperial palaces, eucalyptus-lined roads, the Mercato market, Italian-era buildings around Piazza and Churchill Avenue, and ceremonies of the imperial court.

What the photos show

The 194 photographs of Addis Ababa on PlaceWas span 6 decades, from 1935 to 2025. 3 of them were taken before 1980; the other 191 are recent views of the same streets and landmarks.42 spots were photographed more than once, so you can compare the same street, square or building across the years.194 of the photos carry a written caption explaining what is in the frame. Every picture is pinned to the place it was taken, so the map below shows where the photographers stood.