Mizan (Dogu'a Tembien)

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Coordinates: 13°35′N 39°3′E / 13.583°N 39.050°E / 13.583; 39.050
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Mizan
Municipality
UTC+3 (EAT
)

Mizan is a tabia or municipality in the

Dogu'a Tembien
district.

Geography

The tabia occupies the Tsilare ridge, that overlooks the wide Tekezze lowlands. On the horizon, across

a.s.l.
and the lowest place is the foot of the escarpment at Debre Semay'it (1725 m a.s.l.).

Geology

From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present:[1]

Geological gallery

  • Hexagonal outcrop of Ashangi basalts.
    Hexagonal outcrop of Ashangi basalts.
  • Ashangi basalts in Gumuara.
    Ashangi basalts in Gumuara.
  • Edaga Arbi glacials at the foot of the escarpment.
    Edaga Arbi glacials at the foot of the escarpment.
  • Village of Santarfa on a structural flat
    Village of Santarfa on a structural flat

Geomorphology and soils

The main

geomorphic units, with corresponding soil types are:[2]
See also: Soil in Dogu'a Tembien

Climate

The rainfall pattern shows a very high seasonality with 70 to 80% of the annual rain falling in July and August. The mean temperature in Kerene is 17.8 °C, oscillating between an average daily minimum of 9.9 °C and a maximum of 25.3 °C. The contrasts between day and night air temperatures are much larger than seasonal contrasts.[3]

Springs

Washing clothes at the spring in Santarfa

As there are no permanent rivers, springs are of the utmost importance for the local people. The main springs in the tabia are:[4]

  • Debresema'it in the village of the same name
  • Debregenet in Kekema
  • May Mikale in Tsilere

Reservoirs

In this area with rains that last only for a couple of months per year, reservoirs of different sizes allow harvesting run-off from the rainy season for further use in the dry season.

There are both traditional surface water harvesting ponds, particularly in places without permanent springs, called rahaya and more recently constructed Horoyo. These are household ponds the construction of which has been promoted by development campaigns.[5]

Settlements

Thatched roofs in Kerene

The tabia centre of Kerene has a few administrative offices, a health post, a primary school and some small shops.[4] There are a few more primary schools across the tabia. The other main populated places are:[6]

  • Tsilare
  • Arefa
  • Sibkere
  • Gumuara
  • Santarfa
  • Debre Semayit
  • Qeqema
  • Yeresere

Agriculture and livelihood

Threshing in Gumuara

The population lives essentially from crop farming, supplemented with off-season work in nearby towns. The plateau is dominated by

agricultural system is a permanent upland farming system.[7] The farmers have adapted their cropping systems to the spatio-temporal variability in rainfall.[8]

History and culture

Debre Sema'it rock church
Inside Debre Sema'it rock church

History

The history of the tabia is strongly connected with the

history of Tembien
.

Religion and churches

Most inhabitants are Orthodox Christians. The following churches are located in the tabia:

  • Medhane Alem
  • Debre Sema'it Yohannes (rock church)
  • Tsilare Mika'el
  • Qeqema Maryam
  • Yeresere Abune Ayezgi
View from Debre Sema'it towards Abergele (woreda)

Legends and myths

Arefa, at the western side of the tabia and end of the Tsilere ridge, is reputedly the birthplace of the

Megesta, Gelebeda).[9]

Monkey scarer in Debre Sema'it

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[4]

  • Letemariam Gebrekidan at Yeresere
  • Letebrhan Gebreyohannes at Kerene

Roads and communication

view from Debre Sema'it to Agbe lowlands

The main road from Mekelle via Hagere Selam to Abiy Addi runs through the eastern part of the tabia. There are regular bus services to these towns. Furthermore, a rural access road links Kerene to the main asphalt road.

Schools

Almost all children of the tabia are schooled,[10] though in some schools there is lack of classrooms, directly related to the large intake in primary schools over the last decades.[11] Schools in the tabia include Yeresere school.

Tourism

Its mountainous nature and proximity to Mekelle makes the tabia fit for tourism.[12]

Touristic attractions

Along trekking route 7 in Gumuara

Trekking routes

Trekking routes have been established in this tabia.[13] The tracks are not marked on the ground but can be followed using downloaded GPX files.[15]

  • Trek 7, is from
    Inda Maryam Qorar
  • Trek 19, from Agbe to Debre Sema'it, and then it continues along the same line as Trek 7

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.[16]

See also

  • Dogu'a Tembien
    district.

References

  1. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6
    .
  2. PMID 31639144
    .
  3. S2CID 199105560
    .
  4. ^ a b c What do we hear from the farmers in Dogu'a Tembien? [in Tigrinya]. Hagere Selam, Ethiopia. 2016. p. 100.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Developers and farmers intertwining interventions: the case of rainwater harvesting and food-for-work in Degua Temben, Tigray, Ethiopia
  6. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6
    .
  7. S2CID 128492271
    .
  8. S2CID 95207289
    .
  9. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6
    .
  10. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6
    .
  11. ISBN 978-1-4614-2179-5
    , retrieved 2023-10-12
  12. ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6
    .
  13. ^
    ISBN 978-3-030-04954-6
    .
  14. S2CID 199095921
    .
  15. ^ "Public GPS Traces tagged with nyssen-jacob-frankl".
  16. S2CID 199198251
    .
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