The Martyrs’ Memorial Monument (also known as the Tigrayan Martyrs’ Monument & Museum) is a memorial and museum complex in Mekelle, the capital of Ethiopia’s Tigray Region. It commemorates the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and civilians who died during the struggle against the Derg regime. The complex was inaugurated in 2001.

History

The monument reflects the TPLF’s evolution from a small insurgent group in the 1970s to a leading force in the coalition that overthrew the Derg in 1991. It serves as a focal site of remembrance within Tigray, marking the human and material costs of the conflict and subsequent famine years.

Design and features

The central feature is a tall red-marble column raised on four inclined supports and topped by a gilded globe. Sculptural groups on either side depict civilians and fighters, symbolizing displacement, resistance, and loss.
Adjacent to the monument is the circular Martyrs’ Museum, housed beneath a dome. Exhibits include black-and-white photographs, personal effects, weaponry, communications equipment, and memorial walls listing the dead; labels are generally in Tigrinya, Amharic, and English. An open-air section displays military hardware—most notably Soviet-made aircraft (including MiG-21 and MiG-27 fighters and a Mil Mi-24 helicopter), tanks, artillery, and vehicles.