Debre Tabor
Encyclopedia
Debre Tabor is a town and a woreda
in north-central Ethiopia
. Located in the Debub Gondar Zone
of the Amhara Region
of Ethiopia
, about 100 kilometers southeast of Gondar
and 50 kilometers east of Lake Tana
, this historic town has a latitude and longitude of 11°51′N 38°1′E with an elevation of 2706 meters above sea level. The town is named for the Biblical Mount Tabor
("Debre Tabor" in Amharic
means "Mount Tabor"). The presence of at least 48 springs
in the area contributed to the development of Debre Tabor.
Debre Tabor is served by an airport
(ICAO code HADT, IATA DBT).
: Tewodros II
, before he moved the capital to Magdala
; and Yohannes IV
. As a result, in the 19th century the population of this town varied depending on whether the emperor was in residence. If he was present, the population could reach 30,000 as it did under Emperor Yohannes; if he was not, it would be around 5,000 people.
Authorities differ over the facts of its founding. Mordechai Abir states that it was founded by Ras Ali I
; however, Richard Pankhurst
gives a detailed account of its foundation by Ras Gugsa
, and includes the tradition that the location was selected with supernatural help. In either case, Debre Tabor was the seat of the Regents of the Emperor
in the 18th and 19th centuries, from which periods several churches and the ruins of two palace
s survive.
Debre Tabor was sacked by an army from the province of Lasta
in 1835. The Battle of Debre Tabor
was fought nearby on February 6, 1842; although Dejazmach Wube Haile Maryam and his allies defeated the armies of Ras Ali II
and sacked Debre Tabor once again, they were surprised while celebrating their victory by Birru Aligas, an ally of Ras Ali, who captured Wube and his son and extracted concessions from them in return for their release.
Ras Ali built four churches in Debre Tabor: Iyasus on the mountain to the southeast, Ennatitu Maryam and Legitu Maryam to the east, and Tegur Mikael to the north. A second palace was built for his mother, the Empress Menen Liben Amede, which was not as large as Ras Ali's.
Although he burnt the town in May 1853, following Ras Ali's defeat, Emperor Tewodros
used Debre Tabor as his capital until his situation weakened so badly that he was forced to abandon the town (October 1867) for his stronghold on Maqdala. The Emperor Yohannes IV
often resided at Debre Tabor, and during his reign Heruy Giyorgis church was built. Here the Emperor met with General Gordon
in October 1878, who was representing the Egyptian government, about Ethiopian demands for access to the Red Sea
. It was also in Debre Tabor that Tekle Haymanot
was crowned Negus
of Gojjam
in January 1881.
When the Bank of Ethiopia was created in 1931 it opened a branch office with two employees at Debre Tabor. During the Second Italian-Abyssinian War, Debre Tabor was occupied by unit which advanced from Bahir Dar
on 28 April. During the occupation
, a telegraph office was opened in the town and postal service restored. The Italians also constructed a road from Gondar
via Debre Tabor to Dessie
. The first mosque in Debre Tabor was constructed and eucalyptus
planting extended. Despite these improvements, as early as August 1937, there were almost simultaneous but apparently uncoordinated attacks by arbegnoch on garrisons near Debre Tabor and near Bahir Dar. After several months of attacks, the British convinced Colonel Angelini to surrender the town 6 July 1941, allowing the British to advance towards the organized Italian resistance around Gondar under the command of Guglielmo Nasi
, who by this point was the acting Viceroy and Governor-General of Italian East Africa
.
In 1958, Debre Tabor was one of 27 places in Ethiopia ranked as First Class Township.
Near the beginning of Derg
rule, Debre Tabor was seized by a group of local landlords and their followers in opposition to the government September 1975, killing the provincial governor and expelling both a Chinese road-building team and missionaries of the Seventh Day Adventist Church who ran a local hospital. Government control was reestablished within a month.
In late December 1989, Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces captured Debre Tabor, claiming that they killed or wounded more than 8,000 government troops. Around 20 January 1990, the ENA
news agency announced that government forces had recaptured Debre Tabor. A few days later, the clandestine radio of the TPLF claimed a major victory in battles near Debre Tabor on 22–24 January 1990, claiming their soldiers had killed 3,914 government troops and captured 270. Although the town was retaken by government troops a few days later, the TPLF, announced the recapture of the town after a three-day battle in late February. About a year later, on 23 February 1990, the town was used as the jumping-off point for Operation Tewodros.
in 2005, Debre Tabor has an estimated total population of 39,052 of whom 20,078 are men and 18,974 are women. The woreda has an estimated area of 5.85 square kilometers, which gives Debre Tabor a density of 6,675.60 people per square kilometer.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for Debre Tabor of 22,455 in 4,700 households, of whom 10,564 were men and 11,891 were women. The largest ethnic group reported in this town was the Amhara
(98.93%); Amharic
was spoken as a first language by 99.26%, while 92.62% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity and 6.15% of the population said they were Muslim
.
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
in north-central Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. Located in the Debub Gondar Zone
Debub Gondar Zone
Debub Gondar is a Zone in the Ethiopian Amhara Region. This zone is named for the city of Gondar, which was the capital of Ethiopia until the mid-19th century, and has often been used as a name for the local province....
of the Amhara Region
Amhara Region
Amhara is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia, containing the homeland of the Amhara people. Previously known as Region 3, its capital is Bahir Dar....
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, about 100 kilometers southeast of Gondar
Gondar
Gondar or Gonder is a city in Ethiopia, which was once the old imperial capital and capital of the historic Begemder Province. As a result, the old province of Begemder is sometimes referred to as Gondar...
and 50 kilometers east of Lake Tana
Lake Tana
Lake Tana is the source of the Blue Nile and is the largest lake in Ethiopia...
, this historic town has a latitude and longitude of 11°51′N 38°1′E with an elevation of 2706 meters above sea level. The town is named for the Biblical Mount Tabor
Mount Tabor
-Places:*Mount Tabor, a hill in Israel near Nazareth believed by many to be the site of the Transfiguration of ChristIn the United States:*Mount Tabor, Indiana, an unincorporated community...
("Debre Tabor" in Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
means "Mount Tabor"). The presence of at least 48 springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
in the area contributed to the development of Debre Tabor.
Debre Tabor is served by an airport
Debre Tabor Airport
Debre Tabor Airport is an airport in Debre Tabor, Ethiopia . This airport has a latitude and longitude of with an altitude of 2580 meters above sea level, and one runway 1300 meters long.-References:*...
(ICAO code HADT, IATA DBT).
History
Debre Tabor was the capital of Ethiopia under two EmperorsEmperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
: Tewodros II
Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death....
, before he moved the capital to Magdala
Amba Mariam
Amba Mariam is a village in central Ethiopia. It was known as Magdala or Meqdela during the reign of Emperor Tewodros II of Ethiopia...
; and Yohannes IV
Yohannes IV of Ethiopia
Yohannes IV , born Lij Kassay Mercha Ge'ez, was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1872 until his death.-Early life:...
. As a result, in the 19th century the population of this town varied depending on whether the emperor was in residence. If he was present, the population could reach 30,000 as it did under Emperor Yohannes; if he was not, it would be around 5,000 people.
Authorities differ over the facts of its founding. Mordechai Abir states that it was founded by Ras Ali I
Ali I of Yejju
Ali I of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder, and following the death of Ras Mikael Sehul, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia. He was the son of Abba Seru Gwangul, chieftain of the Yejju Oromo, and Gelebu Faras....
; however, Richard Pankhurst
Richard Pankhurst (academic)
Richard Keir Pethick Pankhurst OBE is a British academic with expertise in the study of Ethiopia.-Early life and education:...
gives a detailed account of its foundation by Ras Gugsa
Gugsa of Yejju
Gugsa of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder , and Inderase of the Emperor of Ethiopia. According to Nathaniel Pearce, he took the Christian name of Wolde Mikael. He was the son of Mersu Barentu and Kefey, the sister of Ras Aligaz. Both Bahru Zewde and Paul B...
, and includes the tradition that the location was selected with supernatural help. In either case, Debre Tabor was the seat of the Regents of the Emperor
Emperor of Ethiopia
The Emperor of Ethiopia was the hereditary ruler of Ethiopia until the abolition of the monarchy in 1974. The Emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country...
in the 18th and 19th centuries, from which periods several churches and the ruins of two palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
s survive.
Debre Tabor was sacked by an army from the province of Lasta
Lasta
Lasta is a historic district in north-central Ethiopia. It is the district in which Lalibela is situated, the former capital of Ethiopia during the Zagwe dynasty and home to 11 medieval rock-hewn churches....
in 1835. The Battle of Debre Tabor
Battle of Debre Tabor
The Battle of Debre Tabor was a conflict during the Zemene Mesafint in 1842 initiated by Dejazmach Wube Haile Maryam to overthrow Ras Ali II as Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia and gain control of Ethiopia...
was fought nearby on February 6, 1842; although Dejazmach Wube Haile Maryam and his allies defeated the armies of Ras Ali II
Ali II of Yejju
Ali II of Yejju was a Ras of Begemder and Enderase of the Emperor of Ethiopia. He was the son of Alula of Yejju, sometime governor of Damot and then of Gojjam, and Menen Liben Amede, later Empress of Ethiopia, and grandson of Gugsa of Yejju, by his fourth wife, Amata Selassie, daughter of Emperor...
and sacked Debre Tabor once again, they were surprised while celebrating their victory by Birru Aligas, an ally of Ras Ali, who captured Wube and his son and extracted concessions from them in return for their release.
Ras Ali built four churches in Debre Tabor: Iyasus on the mountain to the southeast, Ennatitu Maryam and Legitu Maryam to the east, and Tegur Mikael to the north. A second palace was built for his mother, the Empress Menen Liben Amede, which was not as large as Ras Ali's.
Although he burnt the town in May 1853, following Ras Ali's defeat, Emperor Tewodros
Tewodros II of Ethiopia
Tewodros II was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1855 until his death....
used Debre Tabor as his capital until his situation weakened so badly that he was forced to abandon the town (October 1867) for his stronghold on Maqdala. The Emperor Yohannes IV
Yohannes IV of Ethiopia
Yohannes IV , born Lij Kassay Mercha Ge'ez, was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1872 until his death.-Early life:...
often resided at Debre Tabor, and during his reign Heruy Giyorgis church was built. Here the Emperor met with General Gordon
Charles George Gordon
Major-General Charles George Gordon, CB , known as "Chinese" Gordon, Gordon Pasha, and Gordon of Khartoum, was a British army officer and administrator....
in October 1878, who was representing the Egyptian government, about Ethiopian demands for access to the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. It was also in Debre Tabor that Tekle Haymanot
Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam
Tekle Haymanot Tessemma, also Adal Tessemma, Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam, and Tekle Haimanot of Gojjam, was an army commander and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire.- Biography :...
was crowned Negus
Negus
Negus is a title in Ge'ez, Tigrinya, Tigre and Amharic, used for a king and at times also a vassal ruler in pre-1974 Ethiopia and pre-1890 Eritrea. It is subsequently used to translate the word "king" in Biblical and other literature...
of Gojjam
Gojjam
Gojjam was a kingdom in the north-western part of Ethiopia, with its capital city at Debre Marqos. This region is distinctive for lying entirely within the bend of the Abbay River from its outflow from Lake Tana to the Sudan...
in January 1881.
When the Bank of Ethiopia was created in 1931 it opened a branch office with two employees at Debre Tabor. During the Second Italian-Abyssinian War, Debre Tabor was occupied by unit which advanced from Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar
Bahir Dar is a city in north western Ethiopia. It is the capital of the Amhara Region .Administratively, Bahir Dar is considered a Special Zone, placing it midway between Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa which are organized as chartered cities , and cities like Debre Marqos and Dessie, which are...
on 28 April. During the occupation
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
, a telegraph office was opened in the town and postal service restored. The Italians also constructed a road from Gondar
Gondar
Gondar or Gonder is a city in Ethiopia, which was once the old imperial capital and capital of the historic Begemder Province. As a result, the old province of Begemder is sometimes referred to as Gondar...
via Debre Tabor to Dessie
Dessie
Dessie is a city and a woreda in north-central Ethiopia. Located on the Addis Ababa - Asmara highway in the Debub Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, this city has a latitude and longitude of with an elevation between 2,470 and 2,550 meters above sea level.Dessie has postal service , and telephone...
. The first mosque in Debre Tabor was constructed and eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
planting extended. Despite these improvements, as early as August 1937, there were almost simultaneous but apparently uncoordinated attacks by arbegnoch on garrisons near Debre Tabor and near Bahir Dar. After several months of attacks, the British convinced Colonel Angelini to surrender the town 6 July 1941, allowing the British to advance towards the organized Italian resistance around Gondar under the command of Guglielmo Nasi
Guglielmo Nasi
Guglielmo Ciro Nasi was an Italian General who fought in Italian East Africa during World War II.-Biography:Nasi was born in Civitavecchia, Latium...
, who by this point was the acting Viceroy and Governor-General of Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa
Italian East Africa was an Italian colonial administrative subdivision established in 1936, resulting from the merger of the Ethiopian Empire with the old colonies of Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea. In August 1940, British Somaliland was conquered and annexed to Italian East Africa...
.
In 1958, Debre Tabor was one of 27 places in Ethiopia ranked as First Class Township.
Near the beginning of Derg
Derg
The Derg or Dergue was a Communist military junta that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I. Derg, which means "committee" or "council" in Ge'ez, is the short name of the Coordinating Committee of the Armed Forces, Police, and Territorial Army, a committee of...
rule, Debre Tabor was seized by a group of local landlords and their followers in opposition to the government September 1975, killing the provincial governor and expelling both a Chinese road-building team and missionaries of the Seventh Day Adventist Church who ran a local hospital. Government control was reestablished within a month.
In late December 1989, Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) forces captured Debre Tabor, claiming that they killed or wounded more than 8,000 government troops. Around 20 January 1990, the ENA
Ena
-Organizations:* Escuela Nacional de Archiveros, La primera institución especializada en Archivos* École nationale d'administration, a school where many of France's senior officials are instructed* English Nationalist Alliance* Education Networks of America...
news agency announced that government forces had recaptured Debre Tabor. A few days later, the clandestine radio of the TPLF claimed a major victory in battles near Debre Tabor on 22–24 January 1990, claiming their soldiers had killed 3,914 government troops and captured 270. Although the town was retaken by government troops a few days later, the TPLF, announced the recapture of the town after a three-day battle in late February. About a year later, on 23 February 1990, the town was used as the jumping-off point for Operation Tewodros.
Demographics
Based on figures from the Central Statistical AgencyCentral Statistical Agency (Ethiopia)
The Central Statistical Agency is an agency of the government of Ethiopia designated to provide all surveys and censuses for that country used to monitor economic and social growth, as well as to act as an official training center in that field. It is part of the Ethiopian Ministry of Finance and...
in 2005, Debre Tabor has an estimated total population of 39,052 of whom 20,078 are men and 18,974 are women. The woreda has an estimated area of 5.85 square kilometers, which gives Debre Tabor a density of 6,675.60 people per square kilometer.
The 1994 national census reported a total population for Debre Tabor of 22,455 in 4,700 households, of whom 10,564 were men and 11,891 were women. The largest ethnic group reported in this town was the Amhara
Amhara people
Amhara are a highland people inhabiting the Northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. Numbering about 19.8 million people, they comprise 26% of the country's population, according to the 2007 national census...
(98.93%); Amharic
Amharic language
Amharic is a Semitic language spoken in Ethiopia. It is the second most-spoken Semitic language in the world, after Arabic, and the official working language of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. Thus, it has official status and is used nationwide. Amharic is also the official or working...
was spoken as a first language by 99.26%, while 92.62% of the population practiced Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity and 6.15% of the population said they were Muslim
Islam in Ethiopia
According to the latest 2007 national census, Islam is the second most widely practised religion in Ethiopia after Christianity, with over 25 million of Ethiopians adhering to Islam according to the 2007 national census, having arrived in Ethiopia in 615...
.
External links
- Cities of Ethiopia: Debre Tabor by John Graham (Addis Tribune, 1 October 2001)