History of Addis's Neighborhoods
I originally posted this article on the Ethiopian Student Association International (ESAI) discussion forum some years back. I have added some material to the original version. I thank those ESAI members who contributed to the discussion.
From "Efeta Volume 4" (Translated from Amharic)
Afincho ber: Was named by Ras Mekonnen, Haileselassie's father, after one of his favorite vassals Basha Afencho.
Fin-Fine: Named after the hot springs around what is now fel-weha. It refers to the way the water comes out (finin- finin yelal).
QuChera sefer: When Menelik's war minister, Fitawrari Habte Giorgis, was walking home from the palace, he passes a man who was defecating by the side of the road. The guy gets up, as the custom requires, to salute the Fitawrari. The unimpressed fitawrari, responds by saying ere "Quch-beleh-era" hence, the neighborhood ended up being called quchera-sefer
Senga-Tera: The present location of 4-kilo Parliament used to be the old Cattle market. This was adjacent to the palace and the cattle caused major problems by forcing their way into the palace grounds. The problem was later rectified by moving the market to the present location of Senga-Tera.
Talian-Sefer: This is where Italian war prisoners were kept after Adwa.
Sebara- Babur: "babur" is a word that was used to refer to machineries (especially cars). For instance, "babur menged". When a man by the name of Mossier Turkis was driving to the place to pick up Menelik [to take him to Addis Alem], the car breaks down and would not start. Not knowing what to do, Turkis abandoned the car and left. That general area where Turkis abandoned his car is now referred to as 'sebar babur'
Shiro-Meda: The inauguration of Entoto Mariam took place during Tir-Mariam, which happened to be on a Wednesday. To observe the customary lent, 'yetsom megeb' had to be prepared for the Ethiopian guests. This "tsom megeb" was prepared where it is now "Shiro Meda".
Qechene: During the reign of Menelik, this area was where the Wag Shum stayed when visiting the capital. There were many wild animals that inhabited the area. The giraffe (qechene) was one of them.
Gulele: When Addis's land was being distributed among Menelik's nobles, Ras Darge who was the land lord/official of the government for the Selale area, requested that the area around what is now gulele to be given to the balabats from SelalE. These balabats were refered to as Aya Guelele*.
*On a separate note, the name Gulele actually refers to one of the Oromo clans [I believe, I read this on Bahreys's book on history of the Oromo]
America-Gibi: This is where the American ambassador and his followers settled.
Nefas_silk: This was where the first telephone was set up (??) //the amharic wording was not clear.
WebE-Bereha: Named after the Emperess Zewditu's second husband Dejach Wube.
Teret-sefer: This is where Menelik's entertainers (aChaawachoch) lived.
Korea-Sefer: This area was granted to the members of the imperial body guard who went to fight in Korea [early 50's].
Teyet-Bet: This used to be the location of an armory.
The following are collected from different sources
casa-Incis: an Italian word for quarter of distinguished people (ambassadors, officials etc).
casa-popolare- Italian word for quarter of the common people literally translates to flats of commoners.
These neighborhoods are an evidence for Italian attempt to segregate Addis. Richard Pankhurst's book, "The Ethiopians", has some analysis of this topic.
Piazza: Italian word for center city (down town)
Legehar(la-gare): The French word for train station.
From Ethiopian Student Association International, ESAI, forum [contributed by others]
Qebenna: not sure if that is how they named it but It is an OromiNa word (pronounced Ke'BBe'naa) for "REGA YALE" in amharic which the river Kebenna got because of its smooth flow.
Mexico: because of the friendship with the Mexican gov. I have also heard there is an Ethiopia sqr in Mexico..(???)
BOLE: I think it's an oromigna word for the type of soil that used to be unique to that area
DORO MANEQIA: Italians(?) used to live in the area, and they never slaughtered their chicken, they just twisted and broke their necks to kill them ...
From Macalester University Course WebSite
Merkato: The Italians didn¹t locate any large industrial operations in Addis Ababa, but they did manage to disrupt the local economy. Italian Economists feared that cheaply produced goods, imported from Addis Ababa, and would undermine the homeland economy, so no factories were built. But the xenophobic fascists altered trade by pushing well-patronized Indian and French businesses out of the city. They also banned Ethiopians from the central market area and established a 'new market, Addis Merkato, west of the Arada.
Menelik's Imperial City: Early Settlement
In the 1890's and early 1900's, Addis Ababa had not yet become the grand capital city Menelik dreamed of. Throughout the 1890's, laborers worked in construction of the two oldest structures in Addis Ababa, Menelik¹s Gebbi (palace) at the highest point in the area, and the St. George Church to the west (Zewde 69). Addis Ababa's earliest market opened adjacent to the church in the Arada district.
Part of the city's indigenous character was established by the early settlement patterns of the followers and subjects of Menelik II and his nobles. The lesser nobles were each granted land on one of the hilltops of Addis Ababa as ³gults², or rewards for their loyalty (Zewde 69). The servants and dependents of each noble settled on the flanks of his hill, surrounding his hilltop Gebbi, and forming clustered neighborhoods called safars(Zewde 69). These Safars eventually became the distinct sectors known today as Ras Berru Safar, Ras Tasomma Safar, and Fitaurari Habta-Giyorgis Safar (Zewde 69). The servants settlements on the great hill of Menelik¹s Gebbi gave rise to neighborhoods differentiated by occupation: Saratagna Safar (Worker's quarters), Zabagna Safar (Guards' quarters), and Weha Senqu Safar (the "Quarters of the Unprovisioned", an imperial army camp with no amenities but water) (Zewde 71).
MORE STUFF
Neighborhood Segregation
The majority of construction projects and Italian investment were centered in a few areas of Addis Ababa deemed 'Italian' as part of an apartheid-like plan to geographically segregate the races within the city. Casa INCIS (Instituto Nazionale per Case degli Impiegati delli Stato) named for the managing corporation of the city under the fascist government, was to be an Italian-only sector of the city, housing state officials. Another Italian sector was the Casa Popolare or 'worker's flats' (Pankhurst). This city plan was drafted and partially implemented in accordance with a strict social policy of segregation that included laws disallowing intermarriage and even informal contact between Ethiopians and Italians (Pankhurst). Even public facilities such as buses and vans were segregated throughout the city.
Ethnic Safars and Intensified Tribalism
The Urbanization of Ethiopia has led to generally intensified tribalism and stronger bonds between members of the same ethnic group (O'Conner 109). Often, when farmers and villagers came to the city, they were very concerned about preserving their identity and helping their own kind.
Bonded most importantly by language, the people of each ethnic group originally settled together in Addis Ababa in a pattern similar to the development of ethnic neighborhoods in New York and Chicago in North America. Some safars are fully populated by migrants from the same distant village (McClellan 32).
The history of addis's neighborhoods is very informative and highly appreciated especially for Ethiopians living in different part of the world. If it's not too much to ask adding corresponding photo or picture of the location mentioned will reinforce the memory, love and pride we always carry with us forever.
Thank you in advance...
Peace
Eyob Arega
(Comment this)
Sebara- Babur (the name is actualy derived not from a car breaking down but a dozer that was building the road and operated using steam so that it had smoke coming out like a babure, it broke down and waited for spairparts on the street at about where the carwash is now at the time of Minilike)
WebE-Bereha and doro maneka (the names were derived from webe who lived in the house that is currently the restaurant addis ababa with his men around him. His men being protected from the local authorities attacked and robed many who walked home though those areas after spending time in the many local drinking holes that existed in the area. The dangerous situation actualy presisted even after webe him self all the way to the time of the royal guard who finaly cleaned the area because they were found of the local night life. (Comment this)
The entry was based on info found from a single source. I am sure some of them are wrong. If you have corrections, would love to update...
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