Lideta Condominium

Lideta stands as one of the earliest sefers in Addis Ababa, and it takes its name from the Lideta Church (ማህደረ ስብሐትልደታ ቤተክርስቲያን), which was established in 1916. Prior to the construction of the church, this area was referred to as Etchegue sefer, bearing the patronage of Etchegue Gebre Menfes Kidus, a feudal lord under Emperor Menelik.[1] The parish’s land spanned approximately 40 gashas and was owned by Lij Gebre Adinew, who held a prominent position as a close gatekeeper to Emperor Menelik. Additionally, Dejazmach Balcha[2], a prominent feudal military general, was closely associated with this sefer, showing his support for the parish and residing in the area. In 1948, the Dejazmach Balcha Hospital, also known as the Russian Hospital, was inaugurated in his honour.

Lideta’s significance is further underscored by its location along the Jimma Road, which gained prominence due to the presence of several industries and government offices situated between Maychew Square, now known as Mexico Square, and the old Airport. These included the technical school built by the Italians, St. George Brewery, the Supreme Court, the Darmar Shoe Factory and the Ethio-Swedish Building College, among others.

The Lideta Condominium project emerged because of a brownfield redevelopment initiative, involving the transformation of the central residential area within Lideta to make way for a planned condominium Housing. Officially known as the Lideta Sengatera Fird Bet Project – I, the project was conceived in 2009 as an ‘urban renewal’ endeavor, spanning twenty-six hectares of densely populated kebele housing, garages and private holdings. To realize this condominium neighbourhood, a total of 1473 houses, comprising 1,134 public and 339 private units, had to be demolished and many of the residents relocated.

[1] Haile Gabriel Dagne, “The Establishment of Churches in Addis Ababa,” in Proceedings of The International Symposium on the Centenary of Addis Ababa, ed. Ahmed Zekaria, Bahru Zewde, and Taddese Beyene (Addis Ababa: Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University, 1986), 57–78.

[2] Also known as Aba Nefso