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Guenete Leul Palace

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The palace gate crowned by large carved lions

The Guenete Leul Palace ("Paradise of Princes") is a palace in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It was built by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1930. The Emperor and his family made the palace their main residence, but the seat of government remained at the Imperial Palace. After the Second Italo-Abyssinian War and the Italian occupation, the palace became the residence of the Italian vice-roy. Emperor Haile Selassie moved back to the palace when he returned from exile after the Second World War. During a coup attempt in 1960 several government officials were massacred in the palace. In light of this, the emperor moved to the Jubilee Palace. He gave the Guenete Leul Palace to the Haile Selassie University, which was renamed Addis Ababa University in 1974. The palace was renamed Ras Makonnen hall after the father of the emperor.