Project Description
Meyazia 27 Square, commonly known as Arat Kilo, is a square in Addis Ababa. In its center is the eponymous monument, commemorating Ethiopia’s liberation from Fascist Italy. In the Ethiopian Calendar Meyazia 27 (May 5), is both the day when Addis Ababa fell to Italy in the March of the Iron Will and the day when Emperor Haile Selassie triumphantly returned to the city after its liberation.
The original monument included a relief of the Emperor Haile Selassie holding the flag of Ethiopia, which was altered during the rule of Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam into a representation of a guerrilla fighter holding flag.
Due to its proximity to the Menelik Palace, residence of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and the Ethiopian Parliament Building, Arat Kilo is often used as a metonym for the Ethiopian government.
