Ayninbirkekin is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the
Dogu'a Tembien district of the
Tigray Region
The Tigray Region, officially the Tigray National Regional State, is the northernmost regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob, and Kunama people. Its capital and largest city is Mekelle. Tigray is ...
of
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
. Literal meaning of Ayninbirkekin in Tigrinya is "We will not bend". The ''tabia'' centre is in Halah village, located approximately 8 km to the east of the ''woreda'' town
Hagere Selam. Main town is Ala'isa, situated on the ridge overseeing the Giba valley.
Geography
The ''tabia'' is located astride a main water divide (that is followed by the main road) and stretches down towards
May Zegzeg river at the south and upper
Tsaliet River at the north. Three highest places (at around 2600 m a.s.l.) are Meri’a Ziban in the west, Imba Ra’isot in the centre and the escarpment to
Arebay
Arebay is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia organised around the Arebay mountain peaks (2799 m). The ''tabia'' centre is in Arebay village, located approximately 13 km to the east-nor ...
at the north. The lowest places are the confluence of
May Zegzeg and May Be’ati Rivers (1970 m a.s.l.) in the south and in the north May Leiba River near Iyesus church (2240 m a.s.l.).
Geology
From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present:
*
Lower basalt
*
Amba Aradam Formation
The Amba Aradam Formation is a Cretaceous sandstone formation in Ethiopia. It is up to 200 metres thick, for instance in the Degua Tembien district. As fossils are absent, the age of the Amba Aradam Formation was interpreted based on the age of a ...
* Agula Shale
* Mekelle
Dolerite
Diabase (), also called dolerite () or microgabbro,
is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. Diabase dikes and sills are typically shallow intrusive bodies and often exhibit fine-grained ...
*
Antalo Limestone
*
Quaternary
The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...
alluvium
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...
and freshwater
tufa
Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of water in unheated rivers or lakes. Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar (but less porous) carbonate deposits, which are known as travertine. ...
Geomorphology and soils
The main
geomorphic units, with corresponding soil types are:
* Hagere Selam Highlands, along the central basalt and sandstone ridge
** Associated soil types
*** shallow soils with high stone contents (Skeletic
Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
, Leptic
Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
, Skeletic
Regosol)
*** moderately deep dark stony
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s with good natural fertility (Vertic
Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
)
*** deep, dark cracking
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s, temporarily
waterlogged during the wet season (Pellic
Vertisol)
** Inclusions
*** Rock outcrops and very shallow soils (Lithic
Leptosol)
*** Rock outcrops and very shallow soils on limestone (Calcaric Leptosol)
*** Deep dark cracking
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s with very good natural fertility,
waterlogged during the wet season (Chromic
Vertisol, Pellic
Vertisol)
*** Shallow stony dark
loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
s on calcaric material (Calcaric
Regosol, Calcaric
Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
)
*** Brown
loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
y soils on basalt with good natural fertility (
Luvisol)
* Gently rolling
Antalo Limestone plateau, holding cliffs and valley bottoms on limestone
** Associated soil types
*** shallow stony soils with a dark surface horizon overlying calcaric material (Calcaric
Leptosol)
*** moderately deep dark stony
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s with good natural fertility (Vertic
Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
)
*** deep, dark cracking
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s on calcaric material (Calcaric
Vertisol, Calcic
Vertisol)
** Inclusions
*** Rock outcrops and very shallow soils (Lithic
Leptosol)
*** Shallow very stony
loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
y soil on limestone (Skeletic Calcaric
Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
)
*** Deep dark cracking
clay
Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4).
Clays develop plasticity when wet, due to a molecular film of water surrounding the clay par ...
s with very good natural fertility,
waterlogged during the wet season (Chromic
Vertisol, Pellic
Vertisol)
*** Brown to dark
sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
s and
silt loam
Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–sil ...
s on
alluvium
Alluvium (from Latin ''alluvius'', from ''alluere'' 'to wash against') is loose clay, silt, sand, or gravel that has been deposited by running water in a stream bed, on a floodplain, in an alluvial fan or beach, or in similar settings. Alluv ...
(Vertic
Fluvisol, Eutric
Fluvisol, Haplic
Fluvisol)
Common soil types in Hech'i are
Vertisol, Vertic
Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
, Cumulic
Regosol, Calcaric
Regosol and
Phaeozem
A Phaeozem in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a dark soil with a high Soil#Base saturation percentage, base status, but without a secondary carbonates within one metre of the soil surface. Phaeozems correlate with the Udolls ...
.
and, northeast of May Leiba Reservoir, “red-black” Skeletic
Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
–Pellic
Vertisol catena
Catena (Latin for chain) or catenae (plural) may refer to:
Science
* ''Catena'' (fly), a genus in the family Tachinidae
*Catena (linguistics) is a unit of syntax and morphology, closely associated with dependency grammars
* Catena (computing), nu ...
s on basalt and Calcaric
Regosol–
Colluvic Calcaric
Cambisol
A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pr ...
–Calcaric
Vertisol catena
Catena (Latin for chain) or catenae (plural) may refer to:
Science
* ''Catena'' (fly), a genus in the family Tachinidae
*Catena (linguistics) is a unit of syntax and morphology, closely associated with dependency grammars
* Catena (computing), nu ...
s on limestone.
Climate and hydrology
Climate and meteorology
The rainfall pattern shows a very high seasonality with 70 to 80% of the annual rain falling in July and August. Mean temperature in Halah is 19.1 °C, oscillating between average daily minimum of 10.7 °C and maximum of 27.2 °C. The contrasts between day and night air temperatures are much larger than seasonal contrasts.
Rivers
The Giba River as well as Tsaliet River (a tributary to
Weri'i River) are the most important rivers in the surroundings of the ''tabia''. They flow towards
Tekezze River and further on to the
Nile
The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...
. These rivers have incised deep gorges which characterise the landscape.
The
drainage network of the ''tabia'' is organised as follows:
* Giba River
** Hurura River, in ''tabia''
Addi Azmera
*** Afedena River, in ''tabia''
Addi Azmera, which takes its source in Ra'isot
*** May Ayni River, in ''tabia''
Addi Azmera, which takes also its source in Ra'isot
** Rubaksa River, in ''tabia''
Mika'el Abiy
Mika’el Abiy is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu’a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Megesta village, located approximately 7 km to the southeast of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam.
...
, which becomes Inda Sillasie River, at the border of
Inda Sillasie
Inda Sillasie is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Migichi village, located approximately 13 km to the south-southeast of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam ...
and
Amanit
Amanit is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is Addi Qeshofo village, located approximately 15 km to the southeast of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam (as the cr ...
***
May Be'ati River
May Be’ati is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Degua Tembien, Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southward to empty finally in Giba River, Giba and Tekezé River.
Characteristics
It is a confined ephemera ...
, in ''tabia'' Ayninbirkekin
***
May Zegzeg River, at border of ''tabias'' Ayninbirkekin and
Mika'el Abiy
Mika’el Abiy is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu’a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Megesta village, located approximately 7 km to the southeast of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam.
...
****
May Sho'ate
May Sho’ate (also called Argak'a) is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Degua Tembien, Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southward to empty finally in Giba River, Giba and Tekezé River.
Characteristics
It ...
River, at border of ''tabias'' Ayninbirkekin and
Mika'el Abiy
Mika’el Abiy is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu’a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Megesta village, located approximately 7 km to the southeast of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam.
...
*
Weri'i River
** May Leiba, in ''tabia'' Ayninbirkekin, which becomes Tinsehe R. in
Selam and
Mahbere Sillasie
Mahbere Sillasie is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Guderbo village, located approximately 2.5 km to the west-northwest of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Se ...
, and
Tsaliet River, downstream from the
Dabba Selama monastery
***
Graliwdo
Graliwdo is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Degua Tembien, Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows northward to empty finally in Wari River, Weri’i and Tekezé River.
Characteristics
It is a confined ephemera ...
River, in ''tabia'' Ayninbirkekin
Whereas they are (nearly) dry during most of the year, during the main rainy season, these rivers carry high runoff discharges, sometimes in the form of
flash flood
A flash flood is a rapid flooding of low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and depressions. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, or tropical storm, or by meltwater from ice or snow flowing o ...
s. Especially at the begin of the rainy season they are brown-coloured, evidencing high soil
erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...
rates.
Springs
As there are no permanent rivers, the presence of springs is of utmost importance for the local people. The main springs in the ''tabia'' are:
* May Genet in Addi Werat
* May Be'ati
* Gemgema in Ra'isot
Water harvesting
In this area with rains that last only for a couple of months per year, reservoirs of different sizes allow harvesting runoff from the rainy season for further use in the dry season. Overall they suffer from siltation. Yet, they strongly contribute to greening the landscape, either through irrigation or seepage water. Main reservoirs are:
*
May Leiba reservoir, constructed in 1998
* Smaller reservoirs (ponds), such as the one in the village of Addi Qoylo
* Traditional surface water harvesting ponds, particularly in places without permanent springs, called ''rahaya''
* ''Horoyo'', household ponds, recently constructed through campaigns
Vegetation and exclosures
The ''tabia'' holds several
exclosures, areas that are set aside for regreening. Wood harvesting and livestock range are not allowed there. Besides effects on
biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic (''genetic variability''), species (''species diversity''), and ecosystem (''ecosystem diversity'') l ...
,
water infiltration, protection from flooding,
sediment
Sediment is a naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of wind, water, or ice or by the force of gravity acting on the particles. For example, sand an ...
deposition,
carbon sequestration
Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. Carbon dioxide () is naturally captured from the atmosphere through biological, chemical, and physical processes. These changes can be accelerated through changes in land ...
, people commonly have economic benefits from these exclosures through grass harvesting, beekeeping and other
non-timber forest products. The local inhabitants also consider it as “land set aside for future generations”. In this ''tabia'', some exclosures are managed by the
EthioTrees project. They have as an additional benefit that the villagers receive
carbon credits for the
sequestered CO
2,
as part of a
carbon offset programme.
[EthioTrees on Plan Vivo website](_blank)
/ref> The revenues are then reinvested in the villages, according to the priorities of the communities;[EthioTrees on Davines website](_blank)
/ref> it may be for an additional class in the village school, a water pond, or conservation in the exclosures. The following exclosures are managed by the Ethiotrees project in the ''tabia'':
* Gemgema
Gemgema is an exclosure located in the Dogu'a Tembien ''woreda'' of the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The area has been protected since 1992 by the local community.
Timeline
* 1992: established as exclosure by the community
* 2017: support by the ...
, near the village of Tsigaba (95.47 ha)
* May Be'ati
Ayninbirkekin is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Literal meaning of Ayninbirkekin in Tigrinya is "We will not bend". The ''tabia'' centre is in Halah village, located approximately 8&n ...
, near the homonymous village (45.42 ha)
Settlements
The ''tabia'' centre Halah holds a few administrative offices, a primary school, and some small shops. The largest settlement, actually a small town, is Ala'isa, where a market is organized on Thursdays. There is also a health post and several small restaurants and shops. There are a few more primary schools across the ''tabia''. The main other populated places are:
Agriculture and livelihood
The population lives essentially from crop farming, supplemented with off-season work in nearby towns. The land is dominated by farmland
Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with bot ...
s which are clearly demarcated and are cropped every year. Hence the agricultural system
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
is a permanent upland farming system
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
. The farmers have adapted their cropping system The term cropping system refers to the crops, crop sequences and management techniques used on a particular agricultural field over a period of years. It includes all spatial and temporal aspects of managing an agricultural system. Historically, cro ...
s to the spatio-temporal variability in rainfall.
History and culture
History
The history of the ''tabia'' is strongly confounded with the history of Tembien
Tembien ( Tigrigna: ተምቤን) is a historic region in Tigray Region and former provinces of Ethiopia. It is a mountainous area of that country. During the reforms in 1994–95, the old provinces were replaced with regions, zones and woredas. ...
.
One particularity is that, during warfare, a major access to Dogu'a Tembien is through the slopes east of Ala'isa town. The Derg army was defeated here by TPLF during a major battle of the 1980s civil war.
Religion and churches
Most inhabitants are Orthodox Christians
Orthodoxy (from Greek: ) is adherence to correct or accepted creeds, especially in religion.
Orthodoxy within Christianity refers to acceptance of the doctrines defined by various creeds and ecumenical councils in Antiquity, but different Churc ...
. The following churches are located in the ''tabia'':
''Inda Siwa'', the local beer houses
In the main villages, there are traditional beer houses ('' Inda Siwa''), often in unique settings, where people socialise. Well known in the ''tabia'' are
* Tsadkan Kiros at Addi Qolqwal
* Letay Assefa at Halah
* Kiros Abadi at Ala'isa
* Birhan Haddush at Ala'isa
Legends and myths
The lapiez or surface karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
at Inda Meru’e near Hechi is commonly interpreted as a petrified group of people on their way back from a marriage party and who had omitted to greet the church. There is also, near Hech’i a huge cubic rock, named Ilias’ rock which would have been rolled there for sake of church building.
Roads and communication
The main road Mekelle
Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a List of zones of Ethiopia, special zone and capital city, capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta province, Enderta Awrajj ...
– Hagere Selam – Abiy Addi
Abiy Addi (also spelled Abi Addi; Tigrigna ዓብዪ ዓዲ "Big town") is a town in central Tigray Region, Tigray, Ethiopia. Abiy Addi is at the southeastern edge of the Kola Tembien woreda, of which it is the capital.
Overview
The town is di ...
runs from east to west across the ''tabia''. There are regular bus services to these towns. Further, rural access roads link Ala’isa on the main asphalt road to Arebay
Arebay is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia organised around the Arebay mountain peaks (2799 m). The ''tabia'' centre is in Arebay village, located approximately 13 km to the east-nor ...
, Addi Qolqwal to Haddinnet
Haddinnet, also transliterated as Hadnet, is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Idaga village, located approximately 6.5 km to the northeast of the ''w ...
and Halah
Halah (; la, Hala) is a city that is mentioned in the Bible in 2 Kings 17:6 and in 1 Chronicles 5:26. It is noted when Tiglath Pileser III and later Sargon II invaded Israel, the Israelites were taken captive from Gilead and Samaria respectivel ...
to Mizane Birhan and Debre Nazret
Debre Nazret is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Inderta district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It belonged to Dogu'a Tembien up to January 2020. The ''tabia'' centre is in Togogwa town, located approximately 19 km to the east-southea ...
. Minibuses ply on the latter road.
Schools
Almost all children of the ''tabia'' are schooled, though in some schools there is lack of classrooms, directly related to the large intake in primary schools over the last decades. Schools in the ''tabia'' include Ra'isot school
Ayninbirkekin is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Literal meaning of Ayninbirkekin in Tigrinya is "We will not bend". The ''tabia'' centre is in Halah village, located approximately 8&n ...
.
Tourism
Its mountainous nature and proximity to Mekelle
Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a List of zones of Ethiopia, special zone and capital city, capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta province, Enderta Awrajj ...
make the ''tabia'' fit for tourism. As compared to many other mountain areas in Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
the villages are quite accessible, and during walks visitors may be invited for coffee, lunch or even for an overnight stay in a rural homestead.
Touristic attractions
* Viewpoints on Imba Ra'isot, Guyeha Ridge and Meri'a Ziban
Geotouristic sites
The high variability of geological formations and the rugged topography invite for geological and geographic tourism or "geotourism". Geosites in the ''tabia'' include:
Birdwatching
Birdwatching (for the species, see the main Dogu'a Tembien page) can be done particularly in exclosures and forests. The following bird-watching sites have been inventoried in the ''tabia'' and mapped. :
* Iyesus church forest
* Mika'el church forest in Ala’isa
* May Be'ati church forest
Trekking routes
Trekking routes have been established in this ''tabia''. The tracks are not marked on the ground but can be followed using downloaded .GPX files.
* Trek 12, from Rubaksa, along several geosites to Hechi and Addi Qolqwal
* Trek 13, from Mizane Birhan through Tsigaba and May Be'ati to Addi Qolqwal and Meri'a Ziban on the main road
* Trek 14, along the ridges on the highest places in the ''tabia''
* Trek 26, from Ala'isa to the Ekli Imba peak in Arebay
Arebay is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia organised around the Arebay mountain peaks (2799 m). The ''tabia'' centre is in Arebay village, located approximately 13 km to the east-nor ...
See also
* Dogu'a Tembien district.
Gallery
Image:May Be'ati church forest.jpg, May Be'ati church forest.
Image:48. May Leiba (catchment 1).jpg, Catchment of May Leiba reservoir.
Image:48. May Leiba 1.jpg, May Leiba.
Image:48. May Leiba (catchment 2).jpg, May Leiba catchment.
References
{{ Tabias (municipalities) of Dogu’a Tembien
Dogu'a Tembien
Populated places in the Tigray Region