Borkena
Toronto – Emperor Menelik is undoubtedly one of the most popular Ethiopian emperors. His contributions to shaping modern Ethiopia, following the path of Emperors Tewodros II and Yohannes IV, were stellar.
Yet, there has been a relentless campaign to tarnish his image—not just the emperor’s, but also Ethiopia’s as a country. The political movements with such an inclination initially received clandestine foreign support, and the movement morphed into a form of ethnic nationalism. It appeared as if tarnishing the image of Ethiopia’s impactful emperor, who successfully defended the country from Italian colonialism by engineering—along with Empress Taytu—and leading the Battle of Adwa, which ushered in a remarkable victory for the entire Black race, was their goal.
This blog is not intended to delve deep into that part of our history, which is made (with investment from external forces hostile to Ethiopia) to appear “controversial.”
It is to share Arts TV’s coverage about Emperor Menelik’s tomb underneath Ta’eka Negest Be’ata Lemariam Monastery, which is not far from Arat Kilo Palace. Watch it and share your remarks in the comment section.