Meskel Square (Amharic: แแตแแ แ แฐแฃแฃแญ, romanized: mesikโel ฤdebabay, lit.โโCross Squareโ) is a public square in the city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It is often a site for public gatherings or for demonstrations and festivals, notably, the Meskel Festival from which it takes its name.
The Meskel Festival has been celebrated for over 1,600 years.[1] The word โMeskelโ means โcrossโ and the festival commemorates the moment when the crucifix was revealed to Empress Helena of Constantinople, mother of Constantine the Great.