“My ally and companion Hirouy, it would be remiss of me if I failed to say you are great; for your deeds have spoken for themselves.” This epitaph, inscribed in Amharic on the tomb of BlattenGeta Hirouy Wolde-Selassie, echoes through time and stands as a testament to his enduring legacy. Bestowed by Ethiopia’s last Emperor, Haile Selassie I, this tribute honors Hirouy, a vanguard diplomat, modernist, scholar, educator, author, and senior official who lived from 1878 to 1939.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral in Addis Ababa, a treasure trove of some of Ethiopia’s modern history, is among the tourist attraction sites in Addis Ababa for both local and international tourists. Its cemetery, rich in historical significance, offers an intriguing glimpse into the lives of Ethiopia’s great men and women.
“It was through the order of Emperor Haile Selassie that the Cathedral premises were designated to house a cemetery for Ethiopia’s greats,” says Leakeselam Shitaw Berhanu, executive secretary of the Holy Trinity Church administration. “Ever since, the Cathedral has witnessed the consecration and enthronement of bishops, their burials, and the funerals of generations of Ethiopia’s distinguished figures, including patriots, presidents, leaders, artists, physicians, historians, writers and even renowned singers.”
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He says the Cathedral is not just a place of worship but a repository of history and major social events, noting that millions of people used to visit the cemetery annually. “No foreigner left Ethiopia without visiting this Cathedral, drawn by its relics, antiquities, and mausoleums.”
A small garden in front of the 91-year old Cathedral’s main iron gates leads visitors to the tombs of bishops, archbishops, and other eminent personalities. Notably, the garden houses the tombs of Patriarch AbunePaulos, Patriarch AbuneTeklehaimanot, Archbishops Melketsedek and Michael, as well as Richard Pankhurst and his mother Sylvia Pankhurst. Sylvia Pankhurst devoted considerable time to Ethiopia’s cause after its invasion by Fascist Italy in 1935, while Richard was a renowned scholar and researcher of Ethiopian history.
To the left of the Cathedral, a dense array of gravestones, busts, life-size sculptures, epitaphs, and photographs of the deceased narrate countless stories of history. One epitaph stands out: “All that has been born will die, for it is the law of nature. A human being, however, is eternalized by his good deeds.” This sentiment is echoed across multiple tombs in the cemetery.
Most monuments are crafted from marble or granite, with many tombs enclosed by low-lying iron fences and glass structures, accessible via small doors. These tombs resemble rooms more than traditional graves. King Tona, among others, rests in this cemetery.
The cemetery is the final resting place of numerous notable figures, including the late President GirmaWoldegiorgis, Prime Minister MelesZenawi, legendary singer TilahunGessese, artist Fekadu Teklemariam, Yibsa Bari, Chairman of the Ancient Ethiopian Patriots’ Association, Patriot QegnazmachBiazenWondwosen, MeridMengesha (Lt. Gen.), author and statesman HaddisAlemayehu, singer MadingoAfework, sports journalist DemissieDamte, Associate Professor Bezabih Haile Hata’u, dubbed the father of Ethiopian athletics, and philanthropist AbebechGobenaHeyi, among many other notable people.
AbebechGobena’s tomb bears a heart-warming epitaph: “I have no children of my own, but I have a family of millions and I have no regrets.” She was the founder of a renowned orphanage in Ethiopia.
The cemetery also includes the graves of former OLF chairman and parliamentarian Gelassa Dilbo, former Prime Minister Fikreselassie Wogderess, and Deputy President Fisseha Desta from the Derg era.
A unique tomb, adorned with artistic designs and a photograph, holds the body of Maitre and World Laureate, Artist AfeworkTekle. Afework, a famous painter of international stature, created the murals at the old building of the Economic Commission for Africa and many other significant works. He is also immortalized by Villa Alpha, a gallery that once served as his residence.
No part of the cemetery, however, compares to the mausoleum honoring the 60 ministers slain by the Derg regime in one of Ethiopia’s darkest historical episodes. This solemn site, guarded by sentries, stands in the shape of a giant tulip, with photos of the victims engraved upon its curving walls.
This sacred ground also houses the tomb of the last Emperor, Haile Selassie I. His remains were exhumed from beneath the former office of MengistuHailemariam(Col.) at the Gibi Palace and reinterred with dignity at the Holy Trinity Cemetery.
A smaller tulip-shaped mausoleum within the cemetery honors Captain HabtamuBenti, Co-pilot Alula Tamirat, cabin crew members, and passengers who perished in the Ethiopian Airlines Flight 409 crash. The flight, which went down in the Mediterranean off the coast of Lebanon, resulted in the tragic loss of 90 lives, with the cause of the crash remaining a mystery.
“The cemetery, a repository of our rich history, will soon receive a landscaping makeover,” Shitaw told The Reporter Magazine. This update is slated to follow the ongoing renovation of the church itself.
According to Shitaw, the 172.5 million birr renovation of the main Cathedral building is 83 percent complete, with an additional 90 million birr needed to finalize the project. The Cathedral, an illustrious edifice built with solid blocks of polished stones and adorned with sculptures of angels and saints on all four sides, was founded in 1924 E.C. by Emperor Haile Selassie I. Construction was interrupted by the Italian invasion in 1935 and remained unfinished until after their defeat, with work finally completed in 1936.
“The Cathedral showcases mesmerizing works of sculpture,” Shitaw noted. However, he pointed out that the Church’s income has always been limited to contributions from the laity and proceeds from tourism. The results of a recent fundraising campaign for the renovation are yet to be announced.
Shitaw is hopeful that once the renovation is complete, tourist visits will resume. “The flow of tourists decreased substantially after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and also due to new tourist attractions constructed recently in the city,” he explained.
In a gesture of international solidarity, Korean officials have offered to construct a monument in the form of a mausoleum on the church’s premises. This monument will honor the Ethiopian soldiers who died in the Korean War and are buried at the Holy Trinity Cathedral’s cemetery.
The Holy Trinity Cathedral stands as a monument to Ethiopia’s rich and complex history, its cemetery a silent witness to the lives and legacies of some of those who shaped the nation.
