Location: 6125 Saint Clair Ave Cleveland OH
The Empress Taytu Restaurant is named for the 19th century ruler in Ethiopia.
“Taitu (d. 1918) was a strong-willed woman who forged a powerful alliance with her husband, promoting his career and then replacing him when he was incapacitated….Taitu was a remarkable power in her own right: she had a private army and large land holding, she held a dominant position in determining Ethiopian Orthodox Church policy….She opposed Menelik’s conciliatory attitude toward the Italians who had imperial designs on Ethiopia….She led her army into battle against the Italians at Meqelle and took part in their decisive defeat at Adowa in 1895, she also led a successful campaign against Tigrean secession” (Brockman, 493).
Photo of mural: Africa Access
This mural of Empress Taytu can be found on the walls of Meaza Restaurant in Falls Church
Location: 5700 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041
Resources
Brockman, Norbert. An African Biographical Dictionary. Grey House Publishing, 2006.
“Taytu Betul, The Rise of an Itege.” African Women in History. Unesco.org Accessed 8/18/2020.