National Museum
It served for multiple purposes before its current function as the National Museum. It was built in the 1920’s. It was the residence of Martial Graziani during the Italian occupation.
It also served as the residence of the Duyke of Harar, Leul Mekonen, and as Ministry of Foreign Affairs under Emperor Haile Selassie I. It is located at Amest kilo.
It was established in 1944 as a museum and gradually improved and developed to its present standard. Its exhibits are presented under four sections. The first section is the paleontology and prehistoric section. This section contains stone tools and various fossils, the most famous of which are the remains of Lucy or ”Denkenesh”, a 3.5 million year old skeleton of female. The second section exhibits findings of pre-Axumite poetry, minted coins, crescent discs and ancient household items. The third section is an ethnographic section which exhibits traditional and ceremonial costumes, thrones, sculptures and others from all parts of Ethiopia. The fourth and the last section is the modern art section which displays more recent traditional Ethiopian paintings and sculptures produced by renowned Ethiopian artists, such as Maitre Laureate Artist Afework Tekle.
