Old Tracks in the New Flower: A Historical Guide to Addis Ababa

190 pp., illustrations, maps, bibliography, glossary. Hidden inside Addis Ababa's current fabric, Menelik's town still exists. Addis Ababa represents a remarkable exception among the African capitals. The short Italian colonisatoin has only partially altered the peculiar evolution of its urban structures and this allows reading the city's astonishing history and exceptional architecture through its old buildings and the paths linking them. These beautiful buildings survive, largely unknown, scattered in different districts and far away from each other, often hidden by enclosing wwalls, by other houses or big trees. The authors identified and described 134 of these buildings, in addition to those existing inisde the old Imperial compound. In this way, the intend to provide a historical guide to Addis Ababa. They also hope to contribute to the preservation of such an important historic and artistic heritage.