Run Baby Run
He ran barefoot to Olympic gold in 1960, making every modern runner rethink their $250 shoes.
Abebe Bikila
This Russian wrote so many pages in War and Peace, you could use the book to block the Nile—if it flowed through Ethiopia.
Leo Tolstoy
One of Africa’s largest open-air markets, you can buy anything—from spices to shoes to that missing sock from your laundry.
Mercato
This artist's hit "Shegiye" had listeners dancing so much, they considered renaming their shoes "Shegiye Sneakers."
Rophnan
This spongy superstar moonlights as both plate and utensil. It’s basically the edible napkin that no one complains abou
Injera
This Ethiopian distance runner won three consecutive Olympic golds in the 10,000 meters (2004, 2008, and 2012).
Kenenisa Bekele
After writing The Satanic Verses, this author spent more time hiding than a goat during Meskel—though we doubt he ever wrote from Addis.
Salman Rushdie
This museum in Addis houses the ancient hominin Lucy, who’s been waiting 3 million years for someone to finally say, “You don’t look a day over 2.5 million!”
National Museum of Ethiopia
In this Dawit Tsige song, a word you utter when feeling cold, fans said they didn’t need air conditioning—just hit play and you are there already
Etittu
Sizzling like it’s on a date with a frying pan, this dish brings the beef — literally and dramatically
Tibbs
Ethiopia’s first Olympic medal came in this year, thanks to Abebe Bikila’s historic marathon victory.
1960
This Nigerian icon gave us We Should All Be Feminists and helped Beyoncé sound woke. Still waiting on her TED Talk: The Danger of a Single Brewed Ethiopian Coffee
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This iconic church's stained glass and domes are stunning—almost enough to distract you from the fact you walked in wearing flip-flops
The Holy Trinity Cathedral/ Selassie
Selamawit Yohannes' most played song, meaning I was shocked in Tigrigna, was so enchanting, it was rumored to have made the Nile flow backward for a mome
Senbide
Think steak tartare, but with attitude and Ethiopian swagger. It’s raw, it’s seasoned, and it’s not here to make friends
This Ethiopian woman won gold in the 5,000 meters at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, marking a new generation of champions.
Gudaf Tsegay
This doctor-novelist wrote Cutting for Stone, making every Ethiopian auntie proudly display a novel thicker than injera dough
Abraham Verghese
Visit this Addis landmark if you love panoramas, fresh air, and questioning your life choices after hiking 3,200 meters up
Mount Entoto
Bekureamanuel Yemane's song was so heartfelt, it became the go-to apology song for forgetting anniversaries.
Yikrta
Chickpeas were living a quiet life—until they met berbere and turned into this spicy stew of legends
Shiro
Double Jeopardy
Next to Addis Ababa, famous Ethiopian athletes have often train at this city
Bekoji
Double Jeopardy
Russia’s Shakespeare, but with better cheekbones and an Ethiopian great-granddad—proof that habesha genes do not play
Alexander Pushkin
A visit to this palace-turned-museum offers a peek into Ethiopia’s imperial history—and furniture your grandma would fight over
Menelik II’s Palace (or the Unity Park complex)
Nhatty Man's spicy song was so energetic, it replaced coffee as the morning pick-me-up for many
Qimemun
Overconsuming this homemade brew that has gesho as its basic ingredient will leave you questioning your dance skills
Tella