CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY

Holy Trinity Cathedral, known in Amharic as Kidist Selassie, was built in 1942 by Haile Selassie to commemorate the victory of Ethiopian troops over the Italian army and the end of the military occupation of the country that had forced him into exile from 1936 to 1941. The church features a striking architectural mix, with its dome, pinnacles and adjacent bell tower. The stone frames of the projecting openings on an off-white rendered façade almost give it an Iberian air. The interior houses an imposing crystal chandelier, imperial thrones, interesting stained glass windows and frescoes by artist Agegnew Engeda depicting some of the great moments in ^20th-century imperial history, such as Haile Selassie's speech to the League of Nations and the country's liberation from Italian occupation.

Haile Selassie's tomb. In the Holy of Holies lies the body of Emperor Haile Selassie (transferred here in 2001), alongside his wife, Empress Menen Asfaw. The garden is the burial place of many patriots, victims of the Italian occupation, as well as officers executed under the Derg regime. More surprisingly, there is also the tomb of British suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst, who, after speaking out against the fascist invasion of Ethiopia, came here to end her days. A small museum displays interesting objects donated by various emperors to the Orthodox Church.