For years, I was intrigued by the imposing engraving on the stone walls at the heart of Meskel Square. Written the same in Amharic and English, the Addis Abeba Museum defies the norm of using the letter 'A' to spell the capital city.

But I never dared to climb the slab of stairs leading to the gate of the majestic mansion that stands out with prominent roof ornament visible from afar.

Little did I know, it was a window into Ethiopia's history and culture.

I finally decided to check it out one of the days last week, ascending the narrow spiral of stone stairways. A two-storey mansion behind a beautiful garden unfolded before me where the floor, steps, and walls were well-varnished hardwood with extensive glass windowpanes.

There is a short framed anecdote showing the mansion was built by a person named Hajji Qawas in the late 80s. It was originally a munition store and was later given to Ras Biru Woldegebriel and his wife Amakelech Ali as a wedding gift. The family lived in the mansion for many years and it was eventually transformed into a museum in 1974.

The old wooden floor echoed, as I entered the "Establishment" Hall. It exemplified the history of previous capitals from ancient Yeha and Axum to medieval Lalibela and Gonder to Ankober and Entoto and finally Addis Abeba, from its inception to the present day.

While the black and white photographs of Emperor Menelik II and Empress Taytu Bitul showcased the early settlements, the progress was felt through artefacts and paintings that provided historical accounts.

The next hall "Growth", displays facets of the expanding city's significant early developments. Modern shops and warehouses were constructed by Arab, Indian and Armenian merchants, which were considered grandiose by the standards of that era.

One of the most popular exhibits in the museum is the Adwa Hall. It showcases Ethiopia's victory over the Italian forces at the Battle of Adwa in 1896 through weapons, uniforms, and photographs. There is a painting that depicts the final showdown between the Ethiopian and Italian armies.

The portrait is a great representation of Adwa and deserves high praise for its vivid visualisation. Both sides used artillery while engaged in close-range combat, where the Ethiopian army used swords and spears and the Italians fired point-blank pistol shots.

The core of leadership has been preserved in a corner in the exhibit that is dedicated to the early days of Emperor Hailesellasie's reign and the refinements made in the banking systems and monetary history of the country. The display includes various currencies used, from salt bars to Maria Theresa's silver coins and modern banknotes with Emperor's image.

I was intrigued by how the fate of this ancient European royal family became intertwined with the Ethiopian Kingdom of the 20th century, leading to the Austrian currency being used as a local currency in Ethiopia.

I had the opportunity to visit the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, which was the seat of the Austro-Hungarian empire led by the Hoffsburg noble family. The Palace was a grand edifice with over 140 rooms and magnificent gardens spread over 400 acres of land.

This family is notable for producing the last queen of France, Marie Antoinette, who was married to Charles XVI of France. Unfortunately, her mother Maria Theresa's political gamble to strengthen European power and appease the old rival France ended tragically with Marie Antoinette being slain at the Guillotine during the French Revolution, as depicted in Charles Dickens's classic “A Tale of Two Cities.”

The next room was dedicated to the dark phase of history whereby the Italian colonial powers invaded and occupied Ethiopia from 1935 until 1941. The occupying Italian forces are shown parading the streets and the Viceroy General Rudolfo Grazziani is portrayed in photos taken in his military uniform on horseback.

The massacre in which close to a hundred thousand residents were slain en masse following a failed grenade-throwing assassination attempt on the Viceroy. Some grim photos show victims of the occupying forces after being brutally dragged on the streets on vehicles by ropes tied to their bodies. A bombshell lies on display as a grim reminder of the atrocities the Fascists committed during air raids with poisonous mustard gases resulting in numerous civilian death tolls.