This issue traces the layered history of Meskel Square, one of Addis Ababa’s most iconic public spaces. Originally named for the Orthodox Christian celebration of the True Cross, the square was rebranded “Revolutionary Square” under the Derg regime in 1974, transforming into a vast amphitheater for political spectacle.

Despite its shifting names and functions, Meskel Square remains a site of collective memory and civic and political life. The issue highlights how architecture, ritual, and ideology converge in public space, providing a visual and textual archive of the square’s evolving role in Ethiopia’s social and political landscape.