111 Years ago, December 12, 1913, on the feast day of Be’ata le Mariam (Prsentation of the Holy Virgin Mary to the Temple) Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia died after a long illness. He had spent the previous four years severely incapacitated and unable to rule, being cared for by wis wife Empress Taitu and his daughter Woizero (future Empress) Zewditu. Upon the orders of his grandson and heir Lij Iyasu, there was no public acknowledgement of the Emperor’s death, and his body was placed in a coffin and locked in a room adjoining the Kidane Meheret Church on the grounds of the Imperial Palace. The widowed Empress Taitu was ordered out of the palace and confined in the old Palace atop mount Entoto. Zewditu and her husband Ras Gugsa Welle were confined to her country estate at Falle. There was no mourning and no church services were allowed. Three years later, the nobility gathered and deposed the still uncrowned Lij Iyasu and proclaimed Zewditu as Empress. One of the Empress’ first acts was to order the construction of the Church of the Presentation of the Holy Virgin Mary to the Temple (Be’ata Le Mariam) to serve as the mausoleum for her father. This beautiful church was built in the grounds of the Imperial Palace, and is a city landmark to this day with its glittering gold crown atop it’s dome. Menelik II was among Ethiopia’s greatest leaders. He is best remembered as the man who led Ethiopia’s great victory over Italy at Adwa, and the man that prevented Ethiopia from falling victim to colonialism like the rest of Africa. He consolidated the various regions that had fallen away from the rule of the central government back under the Crown, and introduced the basis for modernization and development to better the lives of his people. He was a man with a reputation for kindness and compassion, and as such was so popular that people referred to him as “Imiye Menelik” (an endearment normally used for a mother) as he was seen as being more like an indulgent mother than a stern father. May his memory be eternal. #emperormenelik #menelik #adwa #ethiopianmonarchy #ethiopian_tik_tok - @ethiopians_for_monarchy