Agbe is the main locality of the

Tanqua Millash Tanqua Millash () is a district in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Central Tigray zone, Tanqua Millash is a newly created district from parts of the Tanqua Abergelle and Dogu’a Tembien distrcits in 2020. Agbe is the capital o ...

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 ...

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 municipality (''tabia'') centre is in Sele town. Until January 2020, Agbe belonged to the

Abergele Abergele (; ; ) is a market town and community, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough and in the historic county of Denbighshire. Its northern suburb of Pensarn lies on ...

district.

Geography

The ''tabia'' occupies the southwestern footslopes of the

Degua Tembien Dogu'a Tembien (, "Upper Tembien", sometimes transliterated as Degua Tembien) is a woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien. Nowadays, the mountainous district is part of the Southeastern Tigray ...

massif.

Geology

From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present: *

Antalo Limestone The Antalo Limestone, also known as the Antalo Sequence, is a geological formation in Ethiopia. It is between 300 and 800 metres thick and comprises fossiliferous limestones and marls that were deposited in a reef. Marine microfossils have shown a ...

Adigrat Sandstone The Adigrat Sandstone formation in north Ethiopia, in a wide array of reddish colours, comprises sandstones with coarse to fine grains, and locally conglomerates, silt- and claystones. Given the many lateritic palaeosols and locally fossil wood ...

Edaga Arbi Glacials The Edaga Arbi Glacials are a Palaeozoic geological formation in Tigray (northern Ethiopia) and in Eritrea. The matrix is composed of grey, black and purple clays (locally silt), that contains rock fragments up to 6 metres across. Pollen dating ...

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 Hitsare and Ayni Sele they are in Agbe, where construction works for a soft drinks factory have been started.

Settlements

The ''tabia'' centre Sele holds a few administrative offices, a health post, a primary school, and some small shops. There are a few more primary schools across the ''tabia''. The main other populated places are: * Agbe * Kalazban * Ch’ekh * Milehay Mereu * Meserete Birhan * Babdre * Enda Abune Hawarya * Deleq * Adi Wahro * Majur * Shekah Fuqur * Adi Siera * Adi Qeley * Adenna * Adi Nifas * Hadush Adi * Jibare * kamshana * Seyemtirba

Economy and livelihood

The population lives essentially from crop farming, supplemented with off-season work in nearby towns. 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. In a certain way, there is irrigation of various fruits and peppers in “Shekah” irrigation with water from both sources Hitsare and Ayni Sele springs Historically Friday was the Market day of Agbe but Since 2004, it has been changed to Saturday by order of the local administration this day Saturday is the market day.

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. ...

Religion and churches

Agbe , the birthplace of Ligaba Guangul Riese, who was the palace protocol of Emperor Yohannes IV, Local folk song in Tigrinya around Agbe "ካብ እንዳ ሊጋባ ብላኽሽም ፀባ ሒዝካለይ ነዓየ" “Bring me milk from Ligabe's house” Agbe is surrounded by many great ancient monasteries Qeqema Maryam ,Chikh Selassie , Mennewe Libanos the Birth place of the Great Hero Ras Alula Engida Ekubi aka Aba Nega by his Horse name , Zikuli Mika’el and a beautiful and green place to live. Until the fall of Emperor Haile Selassie, the province of Tigray was governed by Prince Ras Mengesha seyum, Tanqua Milash Agbe was governed by the sons of Ligaba Guangul, Dejazmach Gebre Medhn Guangul, and Djazmach Seyum Gaungul, their children and Grand Children Fitawurari Girmay Gebremedhen Guangul , Fitawrari Haileselassie seyum Fitawurari Yohannes Haileselassie. 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 ...

. 1 The oldest Historical church Teaka Maryam rock hewn church The ancient church of Teaka Maryam, which was carved from underground rock, was saved by our brave Ancestors but during the Adal and Ottoman Turky war in 16th century. They blocked the entrance door with stones to prevent it from being demolished. The invaders from abroad, Ottoman Turkey, and Adal Mohammed cooperated against the Christian Ethiopian Kingdom. Agbe It is a virgin area that has not been researched 2 Saint Michael and Aba Thomas's holy water and 3rd the new church of Aba Thomas. The 4th The main church of the ''tabia'' is Sele Gebriel.

Roads and communication

The main road

Mekelle Mekelle ( ti, መቐለ, am, መቀሌ, mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around north of the Ethiopi ...

– 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 through the centre of the ''tabia''. There are regular bus services to these towns.

Tourism

Its mountainous nature and proximity to

makes the ''tabia'' fit for tourism.

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 8, is from Agbe to Kemishana, and further across

May Selelo May Selelo is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southward to empty in Giba and Tekezé River. Characteristics It is a confined ephemeral river, locally meandering in its na ...

and

Zikuli River Zikuli, also called Gereb Awhi or Mennewe River, is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southward to empty finally in Giba and Tekezé River. Characteristics It is a confine ...

s, along gorges and Zeyi cave to Inda Maryam Qorar * Trek 19, from Sele to

Debre Sema'it Debar ( mk, Дебaр ; Albanian: ''Dibër''/''Dibra'' or ''Dibra e Madhe;'' ) is a city in the western part of North Macedonia, near the border with Albania, off the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality. Debar ha ...

, and then it continues to Inda Maryam Qorar Both treks involve a vertical interval of more than one kilometer and require good physical conditions.

Accommodation and facilities

Though facilities are basic, the inhabitants are hospitable.

References

{{reflist Populated places in the Tigray Region