This was the place where Aba Masyas the Italian Missionary came to preach the faith and converted many persons at the time of Emperor Menilik II.

The area is called Lit Marefiya and its a four hour walk from the palace.
There are still people who follow the prechristian Abrahamic religion

Orazio Antinori was an Italian explorer and naturalist who lived and conducted research between 1876 -1882 in Ankober where he died and was buried in there.

Antinori took part in the expedition of Odoardo Beccari to Ethiopia and made important collections of natural history specimens...

In 1876 he took part in an expedition with Gustavo Chiarini and Antonio Cecchi to the province of Shewa in Ethiopia where they met with Negus Menelik at Liche, and obtained his permission to found a geographical station at Let Marefia.

Orazio Antinori is credited for establishing the Italian Geographic Society in Rome.