Taytu Betul

Strategist of Adwa, Builder of Addis Ababa

Taytu Betul

1851 - 1918

In an age when European empires carved up Africa, Empress Taytu Betul stood at the center of Ethiopia’s resistance. From court intrigue to the Battle of Adwa, she helped shape one of the greatest anti-colonial victories in modern history. Her life reveals the power, politics, and complexity of female leadership in imperial Ethiopia.