Idaga Hamus (Saesi Tsaedaemba)

Idaga Hamus (Tigrigna "Thursday Market") is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located 97 kilometers north of Mekele in the Misraqawi Zone of the Tigray Region (or kilil) of Ethiopia, this town has a latitude and longitude of 14°11′N 39°34′E / 14.183°N 39.567°E / 14.183; 39.567 with an elevation of 2670 meters above sea level. Idaga Hamus is located on 'national road 1', in between Freweyni and Adigrat.

A number of rock-hewn churches have been reported near this town which include: Debre Zakarios Giyorgis and Cherqos, a collapsed one at Dengelat, Guwahigot Yesus and Yohannes.[1] The contemporary church of Maryam Techot in this town is located on the top of a stepped Aksumite platform about 2 meters high and with dressed-stone corner blocks. A monolithic pillar and other carved fragments in the area may have been salvaged from the Aksumite structure which originally stood on this platform.[2]

Records at the Nordic Africa Institute website provide details of the primary school in 1968.[1] Idaga Hamus sheltered a significant number of refugees during the Eritrean-Ethiopian War of 1998-2000.[3]

Demographics

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Idaga Hamus has an estimated total population of 8,474 of whom 3,962 are men and 4,512 are women.[4] The 1994 census reported it had a total population of 4,883 of whom 2,110 were males and 2,773 were females. Together with Freweyni, it is one larger settlements in Saesi Tsaedaemba woreda.

Notes

  1. 1 2 "Local History in Ethiopia" (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 6 May 2008)
  2. ↑ David W. Phillipson, Ancient Churches of Ethiopia (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), p. 47
  3. ↑ Evacuee report during Eritrean-Ethiopian War
  4. ↑ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.4
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