The iconic 70 Dereja stairs around Ras Mekonen Bridge are undergoing thorough renovations along with the neighbourhood—a structure built by Armenian architects during Emperor Menelik's reign. Ras Mekonen, then governor of Harar, commissioned the construction of the eponymous landmark that has survived a century. As the City Administration ramps up efforts to finish the ambitious corridor project before winter rains, a new aesthetic has started to bloom, marked by a polished, sleek—cosmopolitan veneer.