Adwa
The landscape of Adwa
Adwa Location within Ethiopia
Coordinates: 14°10′N 38°54′E / 14.167, 38.9
Country	Ethiopia
Region	Oromia
Zone	Mehakelegnaw (Central)
Elevation	1,907 m (6,257 ft)
Population (2005)
- Total	42,672
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)

Adwa (also spelled Adowa, Aduwa, or Adua) is a market town in northern Ethiopia, and best known as the community closest to the decisive Battle of Adowa fought in 1896 with Italian troops. Amazingly, Ethiopian soldiers won the battle. Located in the Mehakelegnaw Zone of the Tigray Region, Adwa has a longitude and latitude of 14°10′N, 38°54′E, and an elevation of 1907 meters. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (900x420, 76 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Battle of Adowa Adwa User:JialiangGao Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera... Image File history File links Red_pog. ... For the Zone of this name in the Amhara Region, see Oromia Zone. ... Mehakelegnaw (or The central [Zone]) is a Zone in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... Time zones of Africa: Striped colours indicate countries observing daylight saving East Africa Time, or EAT, is a time zone used in eastern Africa. ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Combatants Ethiopia Kingdom of Italy Commanders Ras Makonnen Oreste Baratieri Strength ~100,000 (80,000 with firearms), Unknown number of artillery and machine guns 17,700 (all with firearms), 56 artillery guns Casualties 4,000-6,000 killed, 8,000 wounded[1] 7,000 killed, 1,500 wounded, 3,000... Year 1896 (MDCCCXCVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display calendar). ... Mehakelegnaw (or The central [Zone]) is a Zone in the Ethiopian Region of Tigray. ... Map of Ethiopia highlighting the Tigray region. ...

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Adwa has an estimated total population of 42,672, of whom 20,774 were males and were 21,898 females.^[1] The 1994 census reported it had a total population of 24,519 of whom 11,062 were males and 13,457 were females. It is the largest town in Adwa woreda. The Central Statistical Agency (CSA; Amh. ... Woreda (also spelled wereda) is an administrative sub-division, or local government, of Ethiopia, equivalent to a district. ...

Adwa is home to several notable churches: Adwa Awraja Fird Bet, Adwa Gebri'el Bet (built by Dejazmach Wolde Gebriel), Adwa Maryam Bet (built by Ras Anda Haymanot ), Adwa Medhane `Alem Bete (built by Ras Sabagadis), Adwa Nigiste Saba Huletenya Dereja Timhirt Bet, and Adwa Selasse Bet. Near Adwa is Abba Garima Monastery, founded in the sixth century by one of the Nine Saints and known for its tenth century gospels. Also nearby is the village of Fremona, which had been the base of the 16th century Jesuits sent to convert Ethiopia to Catholicism. Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Sebagadis (died 1831) was dejazmach of Tigray, a province in northern Ethiopia. ... (5th century — 6th century — 7th century — other centuries) Events The first academy of the east the Academy of Gundeshapur founded in Persia by the Persian Shah Khosrau I. Irish colonists and invaders, the Scots, began migrating to Caledonia (later known as Scotland) Glendalough monastery, Wicklow Ireland founded by St. ... The Nine Saints were a group of missionaries who were important in the spread of Christianity in what is now Eritrea and Ethiopia during the late 5th century. ... ( 9th century - 10th century - 11th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 10th century was that century which lasted from 901 to 1000. ... For the genre of Christian-themed music, see gospel music. ... Fremona was a town in northern Ethiopia, located in the modern Region of Tigray. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ...

History

According to Richard Pankhurst, Adwa derives its name from Adi Awa (or Wa), "Village of the Awa"; the Awa are an ethnic group mentioned in the anonymous Monumentum Adulitanum that once stood at Adulis.^[2] Francisco Alvares records tha the Portuguese diplomatic mission passed Adwa, which he called "Houses of St. Michael," in August 1520.^[3] The Monumentum Adulitanum was an ancient Aksumite inscription in Greek and Geez depicting the military campaigns of an early Aksumite king. ... Adulis is an archeological site in Eritrea, about 30 miles south of Massawa. ... Year 1520 (MDXX) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. ...

Despite this claim of antiquity, Adwa only acquired major importance following the establishment of a permanent capital at Gondar. As the traveller James Bruce noted, Adwa was situated on a piece of "flat ground through which every body must go in their way from Gondar to the Red Sea"; the person who controlled this plain could levy profitable tolls on the caravans which passed through.^[4] By 1700, it had become the residence for the governor of Tigray province, and grew to overshadow Debarwa, the traditional seat of the Bahr negus, as the most important town in northern Ethiopia. Its market was important enough to need a nagadras; the earliest known person to hold this office was the Greek emigre Janni of Adwa, a brother of Petros, chamberlain to Emperor Iyoas I. Adwa was home for a small colony of Greek merchants into the 1800s.^[3] Overview of the city with Fasilides castle in the center. ... James Bruce (December 14, 1730 – April 27, 1794) was a Scottish traveller and travel writer who spent more than a dozen years in North Africa and Abyssinia (Ethiopia) where he traced the Blue Nile. ... Location of the Red Sea The Red Sea is an inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. ... Debarwa is a market town with a population of about 25 000 in central Eritrea, about 25 km south of the capital Asmara. ... This is a list of Ethiopian aristocratic and religious titles used in Ethiopia until the end of the Monarchy in 1974. ... Iyoas I or Joas I (throne name Adyam Sagad) (1755 - 14 May 1769) was negus negusti (26 June 1755 - 7 May 1769) of Ethiopia, and a member of the Solomonid dynasty. ...

Because of its local on this major trade route, it is mentioned in the memoirs of numerous 19th-century Europeans visiting Ethiopia. These include Henry Salt, Samuel Gobat, Mansfield Parkyns, Arnaud and Antoine d'Abbadie, and Théophile Lefebvre. After the defeat and death of Ras Sabagadis in the Battle of Debre Abbay, its inhabitants fled Adwa for safety. The town was briefly held by Emperor Tewodros II in January 1860, who had marched from the south in response to the rebellion of Agew Neguse, who had burned then fled the town.^[3] Henry Stephens Salt (September 20, 1851 - April 19, 1939) was an influential English writer and campaigner for social reform in the fields of prisons, schools, economic institutions and the treatment of animals – he was a noted anti-vivisectionist and pacifist. ... Samuel Gobat (January 26, 1799 - May 11, 1879), bishop of Jerusalem, was born at Crémines, Bern, Switzerland. ... Arnaud-Michel dAbbadie (24 July 1815 - 8 November 1893) was a French geographer, and along with his older brother Antoine-Thomson dAbbadie, was notable for his travels in Ethiopia. ... Antoine Thomson dAbbadie (January 3, 1810 – March 19, 1897), and Arnaud Michel dAbbadie (July 24, 1815 – November 13, 1893) were two brothers notable for their travels in Abyssinia during the first half of the 19th century. ... Combatants Tigray Yejju Oromo Commanders Dejazmach Sabagadis Ras Marye of Yejju The Battle of Debre Abbay was a conflict between Ras Marye of Yejju, Regent of the Emperor of Ethiopia, and his rival from Tigray, Dejazmach Sabagadis of Agame. ... Tewodros II (Geez ቴዎድሮስ, also known as Theodore II) (1818 -suicide April 13, 1868) was an Emperor of Ethiopia (1855 - 1868). ... 1860 is the leap year starting on Sunday. ...

Giacomo Naretti passed through Adwa in March 1879, after it had been devastated by a typhus epidemic. It had been reduced to a shadow of itself, having about 200 inhabitants.^[3] Year 1879 (MDCCCLXXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Its geographical importance has also led to Adwa's greatest importance, being the site of the final battle of the First Italo–Ethiopian War, where Emperor Menelik II fought to defend Ethiopia's independence against Italy in 1896. Menelik led the Ethiopian Army to a decisive victory against the Italians, which ensured an independent Ethiopia until the Italians invaded again on the eve of the Second World War. A large tree at the edge of town was pointed out to visitors in the following years as where Emperor Menelik passed judgement on the Eritreans captured in the battle.^[3] Combatants Ethiopia Italy Commanders Emperor Menilek II Empress Taytu Ras Alula Engida Dejazmach Balcha Aba Nefso Fitawrari Gebeyyehu Ras Gobena Ras Makonnen Ras Mengesha Atikem Ras Mengesha Yohannes Ras Mikael of Wollo Ras Wale Betul Negus Tekle Haymanot of Gojjam Oreste Baratieri Strength ~100,000 (80,000 with firearms), Unknown... Combatants Kingdom of Italy Ethiopian Empire Commanders Oreste Baratieri Menelik II Strength 17,000 80,000-150,000 (estimated) Casualties 18,133 11,000 The First Italo–Ethiopian War was fought between Italy and Ethiopia in 1895-1896. ... Emperor Menelik II (Geez ምኒልክ) baptized as Sahle Maryam (August 17, 1844 – December 12, 1913), was of Ethiopia from 1889 to his death. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

The Asmara-Addis Ababa telegraph line, constructed by the Italians in 1902-1904, passed through Adwa and had an office there. By 1905 it was considered the third-largest town in Tigray. Telephone service reached Adwa by 1935, but no phone numbers are listed for the town in 1954.^[3] For other uses, see 1905 (disambiguation). ... Year 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar). ...

On 6 October 1935 Italian forces entered Adwa, after two days of bombardment had shocked Ras Seyoum Mengesha into a hasty retreat, abandoning large stocks of food and other supplies. The Italian Gavinana Division brought with them a stone monument in honor of the Italian soldiers who had fallen in 1896. This monument was erected immediately after their arrival, and inaugurated on 15 October in the presence of General Emilio De Bono. The town passed from Italian hands by 12 June 1941, when the newly arrived 34th Indian State Force Brigade set up a post office there.^[3] is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar). ... is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Emilio De Bono Emilio De Bono (March 19, 1866–January 11, 1944) was an Italian General who fought in World War I and helped organize the Fascist Party. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1941 (disambiguation). ...

During the Woyane rebellion, 6000 of the territorial troops retreated to Adwa on 22 September 1943. By 1958 Adwa was one of 27 places in Ethiopia ranked as First Class Township. During the 1960s the town was not only an educational center but also an early focus for nationalist dissent, indicated by the fact that all three of the leaders of the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF) over the 22-year period from 1975 to 1997, Aregowie Berhe, Sebhat Nega, and Meles Zenawi, all came from Adwa and attended the town's government school.^[3] is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jan. ... The Tigrayan Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) is a political party in Ethiopia. ... Meles Zenawi Asres (Geez መለስ ዜናዊ meles zēnāwī, b. ...

Adwa was frequent target of attacks by the TPLF during the Ethiopian Civil War: in 1978 the TPLF attacked Adwa; in 1979 it unsuccessfully tried to rob the bank. The town permanently passed into TPLF control in March 1988. Adwa and its environs are the native district of many of the core leaders of the TPLF which lead Ethiopia today, and the district is represented in Parliament by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi himself. Combatants Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Party (Ihapa), All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement (MEISON), Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front, Tigray Peoples Liberation Front Derg (later Peoples Democratic Republic of Ethiopia) The Ethiopian Civil War was a 17 year long civil war in Ethiopia. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ...

Films

• Adwa (1999). Directed by Haile Gerima.

Haile Gerima (* 1946) is an ethiopian filmmaker who came to the United States in 1968. ...

See also

• Battle of Adowa

Combatants Ethiopia Kingdom of Italy Commanders Ras Makonnen Oreste Baratieri Strength ~100,000 (80,000 with firearms), Unknown number of artillery and machine guns 17,700 (all with firearms), 56 artillery guns Casualties 4,000-6,000 killed, 8,000 wounded[1] 7,000 killed, 1,500 wounded, 3,000...

Notes

1. ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.3
2. ^ Richard K.P. Pankhurst, History of Ethiopian Towns: From the Middle Ages to the Early Nineteenth Century (Wiesbaden: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1982), vol. 1 p. 192.
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} "Local History in Ethiopia" (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 12 December 2007)
4. ^ Pankhurst, Ethiopian Towns, vol. 1 p. 194.