![Wello in Ethiopia (1943-1987)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/75/Wello_in_Ethiopia_%281943-1987%29.svg)
Wollo (
Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of northern
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 ...
that overlayed part of the present day
Amhara,
Afar, and
Tigray regions. During the Middle Ages this region was known as
Bete Amhara
Bete Amhara (Amharic: ቤተ አማራ, Ge'ez: ቤተ ዐምሐራ, translation: "House of Amhara") is a historical region that is located in north central Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Íti ...
and had
Amhara kings. Bete Amhara had an illustrious place in Ethiopian political and cultural history. It was the center of the
Solomonic Dynasty
The Solomonic dynasty, also known as the House of Solomon, was the ruling dynasty of the Ethiopian Empire formed in the thirteenth century. Its members claim lineal descent from the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Tradition asserts ...
established by Emperor
Yekuno Amlak
Yekuno Amlak ( Ge’ez: ይኩኖ አምላክ); throne name Tasfa Iyasus (ተስፋ ኢየሱስ; died 19 June 1285) was Emperor of Ethiopia, and the founder of the Solomonic dynasty, which lasted until 1974. He was a ruler from Bete Amhara (i ...
around
Lake Hayq in 1270, the original center of Amhara people, whose territorial reach extended from
Lake Hayq and the Beshillo River in the north, the Afar and Argobba lowlands in the east, the Abbay River in the West, and the Awash River just south of modern
Addis Ababa
Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...
.
Background
![Bet Maryam, Lalibela, Ethiopia - panoramio (1)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Bet_Maryam%2C_Lalibela%2C_Ethiopia_-_panoramio_%281%29.jpg)
Today's Wollo was long the center of Ethiopia (half under
Agew
The Agaw or Agew ( gez, አገው ''Agäw'', modern ''Agew'') are a pan-ethnic identity native to the northern highlands of Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. They speak the Agaw languages, which belong to the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic ...
/
Zagwe and half under the
Amhara/
Solomonic leadership). The people of
Amhara and
Zagwe Provinces (today's Wollo) were the strongest adherents of Christianity and both believed in
Israelite Semitic Biblical Ancestry
Agew
The Agaw or Agew ( gez, አገው ''Agäw'', modern ''Agew'') are a pan-ethnic identity native to the northern highlands of Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea. They speak the Agaw languages, which belong to the Cushitic branch of the Afroasiatic ...
/
Zagwe claimed lineage from
Moses while the
Amhara/
Solomonids claimed lineage from
Solomon, and the beliefs and customs of the Church from an essential part of tradition and culture to this area. Evidence of Wollo's political importance to Ethiopia in the medieval era was that the regions rulers played a disproportionate role in the politics of the Ethiopian state. In the medieval era, the
Tsahife Lam (ጻሕፈ ላም), governor of the
Bete Amhara
Bete Amhara (Amharic: ቤተ አማራ, Ge'ez: ቤተ ዐምሐራ, translation: "House of Amhara") is a historical region that is located in north central Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Íti ...
province, was the most senior military officer next to the Emperor. Along with that, the
Jantirar
Jantirar (Amharic: ጃንጥራር) was a title of the Ethiopian Empire given to the ruler of Amba Geshen.
Overview
Jantirar is borne historically by the head of the family holding the mountain fortress of Ambassel in Ethiopia; similar to Wags ...
of
Ambassel
Ambassel (Amharic: ዐምባሰል) is a woreda in Amhara Region, Ethiopia, and an ''amba'', or mountain fortress, located in the woreda. The word Ambasel is derived from two words "Amba" from the Amharic word for plateau, and “Asel” from the ...
(the center of Bete Amhara and lordship of
Yekuno Amlak
Yekuno Amlak ( Ge’ez: ይኩኖ አምላክ); throne name Tasfa Iyasus (ተስፋ ኢየሱስ; died 19 June 1285) was Emperor of Ethiopia, and the founder of the Solomonic dynasty, which lasted until 1974. He was a ruler from Bete Amhara (i ...
himself prior to his ascension as
Emperor of Ethiopia), was tasked with protecting
Amba Geshen
Amba Geshen is the name of a mountain in northern Ethiopia. It is in Ambassel, South Wollo Zone of the Amhara Region, northwest of Dessie, at a latitude and a longitude of . Part of Ambassel woreda, Amba Geshen is one of the mountains of Ethio ...
. Believers contend that the monastic life is the highest stage of Christian life. Devout Christians hope to live their last years as monks or nuns, and many take monastic vows during old age. the Monastic school of
Lake Hayq founded in 1248 by Aba
Iyesus-Mo'a was the fundamental school to Saints, scholars and Christians. The Monasteries spread along with the Ethiopian Empire and
Tekle-Haymanot (1215-1313) was trained at Hayq by
Iyasus Mo'a
Iyasus Mo'a (1214 – 1294) was an Ethiopian saint of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church; his feast day is 5 December (26 Hedar in the Ethiopian calendar). In life he was an Ethiopian monk and abbot of Istifanos Monastery in Lake Hayq of Amb ...
and started the important Monastic community of Debre Asbo in Shewa Amhara
Debre Libanos
Debre Libanos (Amharic: ደብረ ሊባኖስ, om, Dabra libanose) is an Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo monastery, lying northwest of Addis Ababa in the North Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region. It was founded in 1284 by Saint Tekle Haymanot as ...
, Abune Hirute Amlak was also trained in this Monastery by Iyasus Mo'a and started the imperative Monastic community of Daga Estifanos in
Lake Tsana and Aba Georgis Zegasecha trained and started the Monastic community of Gasecha.
![Yekuno Amlak](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Yekuno_Amlak.jpg)
As a result of this, several Church works were performed and it was the land of Saints and Christian kings. Therefore, many famous Churches were built by Christian kings and Monasteries were established by great Saints and wonderful Rock Hewn Churches were carved out of rock. Furthermore, it was the center of Church Education. For example, from the Monastery of
Hayq Estifanos the well-known Saints and Christian kings had learnt Church education. For this reason, literature, paintings and other heritages flourished throughout the land. In the region many Rock Hewn Churches were built by Saints like, King Abrha and Astbha/Most of them were in the place of Woleka
Debresina but they destructed and hidden during the invasion of Ahmad Gragn/, Aba Betselote Micheal, Aba Giorgis Zegasecha, Aba Tsegie Dengel, Abune Yaekob Zedebrekerbe and by King Lalibela, the rock Church builder - 1140-79 A.D. had a set of ten Rock Hewn Churches built in his capital of Roha, which was later renamed Lalibela. It is also said that he built the Gezaza Abune Gebre Menfes Kidus Church (Gezaza Abbo) in this region around Wegde. All these are rock hewn Churches carved in solid rock, deserve to be taken as few among wonders and are a remarkable monument to the skill and craftsmanship of the Ethiopians.
Mekane Silasse Church was established before 485 years in 1513 E.C. The foundation was started by
Atse Naod (1489-1500) and it was finished by his son Atse
Lebna Dengel (1500-1513). This Church is different from other Churches because it took 25 years to construct it. Atse Naod worked on it for 13 years but he died before finishing it. So, his son
Lebna Dengel finished it after 12 years by constructing a great Church and more beautiful than his father. At the inauguration of the Church in 1513 many famous persons were present. Among them, the Portuguese priest and historian writer, Francisco Alvarez was the one who recorded the ceremonies of the Church inauguration at that time. He admired and writes about the Church’s architectural design.
The Church was constructed from Geha stone and it had a Mekdes, Kidist and Kine Mahilet. The four sides of the Mekdes and Kidist were equal in size and shape but the shape of the Kine Mahlet was circular. The Church was also much wider and bigger than other Churches of the time found around Wesel. The Portuguese priest and historian writer, Francisco Alvaraze said the following about its architectural design: “the wall of this Church was made from systematically carved stones and it was designed by a graphic decoration …..the door of the main entrance was covered by gold and silver. Inside the gold and silver there were some precious stones. The roof was laid down on the six columns of the Church and the outer part of the roof was supported by 61 long columns. There were also sixteen curtains made of golden cotton cloth.
On the other hand, the historical writer of Ahmad Gragn, Arab Faqeh, recorded about its architectural design before the destruction of the Church. He admired its construction and architectural design and said that the following: ''“there was one church in Bete Amhara which no church could imitate in Habesha land"''.
It was constructed by the father of
Lebene Dengel, King Naod. Its work and ornament had taken 13 years but king Naod died before finishing it. His son Lebna Dengel finished it after 25 years. He finished the Church by covering all part of it with gold above what his father had done. So the Church reflects like a fire, because, it was covered by gold and all the church holy treasures liturgical objects) were made from gold and silver. The width of the Church was more than hundred yards and the height was also more than fifty yards ... Christians called the Church Mekane Silasse..... In this Church, the tomb of
Emperor Na'od who is the grand son of
Zera Yacob and the son of
Be’ede Mariam is found.”
![Imperial coat of arms of Ethiopia (Haile Selassie)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Imperial_coat_of_arms_of_Ethiopia_%28Haile_Selassie%29.svg)
With the adoption of the
1995 constitution & the establishment of
ethnic federalism
Ethnic federalism, multi-ethnic or multi-national federalism,Liam D. Anderson (2016),"Ethnofederalism: The Worst form of institutional arrangement...?" Academia is a form of federal system in which the federated regional or state units are define ...
system 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 ...
, parts of the expanded Wollo province, which were mostly inhabited by
Afar people
The Afar ( aa, Qafár), also known as the Danakil, Adali and Odali, are a Cushitic-speaking ethnic group inhabiting the Horn of Africa. They primarily live in the Afar Region of Ethiopia and in northern Djibouti, as well as the entire southern co ...
were given to the new
Afar Region
The Afar Region (; aa, Qafar Rakaakayak; am, አፋር ክልል), formerly known as Region 2, is a regional state in northeastern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Afar people. Its capital is the planned city of Semera, which lies on the pave ...
. The new
Amhara Region
The Amhara Region ( am, አማራ ክልል, Åmara Kilil), officially the Amhara National Regional State (), is a regional state in northern Ethiopia and the homeland of the Amhara people. Its capital is Bahir Dar which is the seat of the Re ...
absorbed the remainder of the province in the
Ethiopian Highlands
The Ethiopian Highlands is a rugged mass of mountains in Ethiopia in Northeast Africa. It forms the largest continuous area of its elevation in the continent, with little of its surface falling below , while the summits reach heights of up to . ...
and kept the name Wollo for its two new zones (
South Wollo Zone
South Wollo ( Amharic: ደቡብ ወሎ) is a zone in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It acquired its name from the former province of Wollo. South Wollo is bordered on the south by North Shewa and the Oromia Region, on the west by East Gojjam, ...
&
North Wollo Zone
North Wollo (Amharic: ሰሜን ወሎ) also called Semien Wollo, is a zone in Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It is bordered on the south by South Wollo, on the west by South Gondar, on the north by Wag Hemra, on the northeast by Tigray Region, a ...
). Wollo is known to be the origin of the four melodic-modes (
kignits) of Ethiopia.
See also
*
History of Ethiopia
Ethiopia is one of the oldest countries in Africa, the emergence of Ethiopian civilization dates back thousands of years. Due to migration and imperial expansion, it grew to include many other primarily Afro-Asiatic-speaking communities, includ ...
References
{{coord, 11, 30, N, 40, 00, E, display=title, region:ET_type:adm1st_source:GNS-enwiki
Afar Region
Amhara Region
Provinces of Ethiopia
States and territories disestablished in 1995
Tigray Region