The historic neighbourhood of Piassa, at the old heart of Addis Ababa, is being taken apart. Workmen are uprooting pipes, felling lampposts and chiselling at façades. One building is being dismantled ...

By Abdu Ali Addis Ababa, May 22, 2026 —Ethiopia is no longer simply being visited. It is being rediscovered in real time.

A spate of demolitions radically transformed one of the oldest parts of the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, in early 2024. The city is home to an estimated 4 million people. The demolitions in Piassa ...

With an estimated population of more than 3.7 million people, Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, is home to about a quarter of Ethiopia’s urban population. The city generates well above 29% of ...