Resolution Studio

The sparkling water that we know and love has an interesting story behind it.

Together, we craft websites that go beyond function.
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It often feels like a betrayal whenever "Addis Ababa" is used instead of "Addis Abeba".

But why?

Colonial-era transliteration norms—let’s just say, “በ” was a mouthful.

European tongues stumbled over the softness of “Abeba,” and so, in early publications, it became “Ababa.”

A small shift, but one that stuck around across maps, treaties, and time.

The Ethio-Djibouti railway- Ethiopia’s first major infrastructure collaboration with the French laid more than tracks. It laid linguistic foundations.

By 1907, the Franco-Ethiopian alliance had ushered in a wave of French cartographers, engineers, and diplomats. With them came spelling conventions that bent local names to fit European phonetics.

“Abeba” softened into “Ababa” not out of disrespect, but out of typographic convenience and colonial habit.

The Big question: is it fair to force the true pronunciation on the world?

We will leave the answer to you.

Professor Haile Gerima is a visionary filmmaker, teacher, and freedom storyteller whose films like Sankofa and Teza reclaim African memory and ignite resistance through cinema. Sankofa Video Books & Cafe

You should bring this guide on your next trip to Dire Dawa to discover its history through places and people.

In March 2013, a beautiful series of historical guides was published. 

This Dire Dawa guide features elegant illustrations, clear maps, and portraits of the local community. 

It walks you through the railway station, coffee warehouses, markets, and the streets where the city’s stories live. 

Whether you are an international or local curious tourist, this guide is a must have.

You can buy this guide from

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