Part II
A modern city is well structured in accordance with the services it provides to its inhabitants. There are many markets in Addis Ababa but they are not well-designed or located at the right places. Some of them are even removed and taken to other sites only to be transferred to newer locations after a few months or years. Since the market places are not often designed by taking distance and travel facilities into consideration whenever they are designed, many citizens subsequently complain about the time it takes to reach a marketplace and the poor transportation system that makes their shopping experience a logistic nightmare.
Things are definitely improving as far as the modernization of the Ethiopian capital is concerned. New elements are added to the overall architectural landscape. New parks and recreational centers are constantly being added into the landscapes. Addis is growing horizontally as well as vertically. Vertical growth is the case in the city center where the business areas around the National Bank of Ethiopia and the National theatre are located. Horizontal growth is observed on the periphery of the city where new real estates and residential condos are proliferating.
In between the vertical and horizontal structures, you find vast expanses of old villages and shanty areas around Mercato and Piazza and Gulele areas. These slum areas are going to be dismantled sooner or later and new buildings to be built in their places. What kind of buildings are going to appear in those areas is anybody’s guess. Addis Ababa is more than 120 years old but it does not have the number of architectures and design companies that could make a difference in the modernization process of the capital.
However, the few domestic and foreign architectural design companies are coming up with fresh ideas and changing the skyline of the Ethiopian or African capital. Addis Ababa is often described as the fastest growing capital in Africa. This description does not however include the vital elements indicated above that make a city truly modern and deserving to be called a metropolis. This may be true for some parts of the capital that enjoy many of the features that make a city really modern and fast growing.
According to some people who had the opportunity to observe Addis from above, the city has at least three divisions or three parts. The first consist of an ultra-modern group of buildings around Bole, and the eastern part of the city. The second consists of medium-sized building mostly in the center of the city while the shanty areas are mostly located in the western and central parts.
Addis Ababa is not only the cultural hub of Ethiopia with several important museums stationed here, as well as major universities and many Ethiopian Orthodox sites and treasures. Addis Ababa is also the business hub of Ethiopia generating most of the revenues from modern and traditional businesses proliferating in the southern parts of the capital. It is also considered the melting pot of languages where more than 3 million of its inhabitants speak almost all the language spoken in the country. “Amharic is the government’s official language and a widely used lingua franca, but as of 2007, only 29% of the population reported speaking Amharic as their main language. Afan Oromo is spoken by over a third of the population as their main language and is the most widely spoken primary language in Ethiopia.”
Addis Ababa is one of the busiest cities in Africa where modern companies and state –of-the-arts technologies are spreading in all directions. It is a melting pot of cultures, traditions, people with their foods and beverages, their songs and dances. Visiting Addis would be for any foreigner tantamount to getting an in depth experience of Ethiopia with all its diversity and beauty.
Addis is still one of the ten world cities worth visiting for their unique features. It is perhaps the fastest growing city in Africa where construction sites are popping up every week or so as new buildings are inaugurated. It is a city that boasts of the tallest building in East Africa. This is none other than the headquarters of the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia that is dominating the city’s skylines and was recently opened for business. A new business and financial center is mushrooming around it and give you the impression that you are in the middle of a financial boom even though the times are difficult and business is not at its best. The hope is that the future Addis Ababa stock exchange is going to be built around this futuristic area. No doubt then that Addis Ababa, despite its problems of growth is living up to its reputation as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
BY MULUGETA GUDETA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 10 APRIL 2022
