Lesanworq Mesfin Kuma
۴ ماه قبل
Walle Mohammed Mosque is the first mosque built when the city of Addis Ababa was founded. Constructed in 1905/1906 (1898 E.C.) following the Victory of Adwa, it sits on an 848 square meter plot. It is located in the area commonly known as Aware, just down from the Grand Palace. When Emperor Menelik II established his capital in Addis Ababa, Indian Haji Walle Mohammed was one of the primary building professionals he brought in. Having come to Ethiopia after signing a labor contract with Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis Dinegde, Walle Mohammed constructed several major landmarks in Addis Ababa and Addis Alem including: The Palace of Emperor Menelik, Ba'ata Le Mariam Church, The Palace of Sheikh Hoejelle, Addis Alem Mariam Church, The residence of Ras Birru (now the Addis Ababa Museum),The Adwa Bridge and The residence of Grazmach Tassew in Kazanchis. Despite building all these monumental structures, Haji Walle Mohammed, a devout Muslim, had to pray in open fields when the time for prayer arrived. Upon his request to Emperor Menelik for a dedicated place of worship, he was granted land not far from the Palace. Consequently, the first mosque in Addis Ababa was built inside a thatched-roof hut. For this reason, both the mosque and the neighborhood continue to be called Walle Mohammed to this day.
