Menelik II Statue, Addis Ababa

The Menelik II Statue stands at Menelik II Square and honors Emperor Menelik II, who ruled from 1889 to 1913. He is strongly linked to the Battle of Adwa (1896), when Ethiopian forces defeated an invading Italian army and kept the country independent during the period of European colonial expansion.

It is an equestrian monument made of bronze, but it is not a quiet pose: the horse is shown rearing on its hind legs, which gives the sculpture a bold, heroic look. Menelik is usually shown holding the Ethiopian flag and a sword (some descriptions mention spears instead). The statue is also set facing north, a symbolic choice tied to the direction of Adwa, the battlefield connected to his most famous victory.

The statue was commissioned by Empress Zewditu, Menelik II’s daughter, and unveiled in 1930, during the period of Ras Tafari’s coronation as Haile Selassie. During the Italian occupation (1936–1941), it was removed and hidden, then restored after liberation. The high pedestal is also known as Ethiopia’s reference point for measuring highway distances, giving the monument a practical role beyond its historical meaning.