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| Meaza Restaurant Photo: Africa Access |
Location: 5700 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041
The walls of Meaza Restaurant in Falls Church contain murals of Ethiopia rulers including Emperor Yohannes IV.
Photo of Mural, Africa Access
Yohannes IV [1831—1889] known as Kassai, “successfully unified Ethiopia and resisted attempts by outside powers to subdue the country. He provided for a succession that would consolidate his gains, laying the groundwork for maintaining Ethiopia’s independence….His attempts at religious unification were less successful, largely due to Islamic resistance….He marched against the Italians and defeated them at Dogali in 1887 but was no position to to press his advantage…. He was mortally wounded in a battle with Mahdists (Brockman, 542-543).
“Yohannes IV, English John IV, original name Kassa, (born 1831—died March 10, 1889, Metema, Sudan), emperor of Ethiopia (1872–89). Like his predecessor, Tewodros II (reigned 1855–68), Yohannes IV was a strong, progressive ruler, but he spent most of his time repelling military threats from Egypt, Italy and the Mahdists of the Sudan. Superior weaponry allowed Yohannes, a dejazmatch (earl) of Tigray, in northern Ethiopia, to fight his way to the Ethiopian throne on January 21, 1872, four years after Tewodros’s death. His main rival was Menelek II, king of Shewas, who did not recognize Yohannes as emperor until 1878/79, after a military defeat.” https://www.britannica.com/biography/Yohannes-IV Accessed 8/31/2020.
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Monument of Yohannes IV at Axum Airport |
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Photos: Wikimedia Commons
Resources
Brockman, Norbert. An African Biographical Dictionary. Grey House Publishing, 2006
“Yohannes IV.” Encyclopedia of Britannica, Inc. March 6, 2020. https://www.britannica.com/ Accessed April 21, 2020.