Tigray

Tigray is a region in the far north of Ethiopia. Cities Aksum - served as the capital during the time of Sheba, nowadays one of the religious centers in Ethiopia. Mekele - the capital of Tigray, nowadays a charming and lively city with many things to offer. Other destinations Wukro and Negash: Fascinating! Famous for its churches and the unusual and ancient building styles. The oldest spot for Islam in the country, see Mekele. Adwa: Nowadays a small city with little to offer, but history buffs of Ethiopian war/military history, such as the Battle of Adwa against the Italians fought here in 1896, will wish to spend time here. Understand The province of Amhara is most influential in regards Ethiopian culture and history, and Tigray is where most NGO's are situated and most war has been fought. It is the home of the Tigray people; they use Amharic as their mother tongue. The situation between Tigray, Eritrea and Ethiopia is complicated. As the uprising against the Derg Regime started in Aksum the area was involved in twenty years of war ending with bloodshed between Eritrea and Ethiopia year 2000. Still Tigray is a part of Ethiopia even though Eritrea is not a part of the Tigray region. Nowadays there are few assaults between the two countries, but as of March 2012 there were minor clashes between Ethiopian and Eritrean soldiers creating great tension in the region. However, traveling the main road between the two biggest cities Mekele and Aksum should be little trouble. The question whether Tigray should be independent or a part of Ethiopia is a tense subject which provokes arguments and grudges. The general opinion is that being a part of Ethiopia is better in order to loot it of its resources. Nowadays the international community have tried to feed the poor people of Mekele one of the most charming cities of the country, At the creation of Ethiopia, during the time of Queen of Sheba until the creation of Lalibela, Aksum served as the capital for almost 2000 years. A lot of Ethiopian culture, religion and history has been created here. Due to war and threat from Muslims who had conquered Somalia and Yemen, the new capital was built in the mountains out of range of the Muslim armies. This made Tigray slowly be forgotten until the 19th century when Emperor Yohannes IV decided to move the capital away from Gondar to Mekele where the greatest salt fields in Africa were located, making Tigray important again. The money the salt export provided Ethiopia bought weapons via the help of French traders in Harar (one of them being Rimbaud)in conjunction with Russian support against the Italians at the battle of Adwa in 1896, making Ethiopia the first country in Africa not colonised. Talk The official language is suprisingly Amharic. Even in the countryside most of the people will not speak any other language other than Amharic, although the region consists of more than 95 % Tigray people. English is spoken by many in the cities. Get in By air There are two main airports in Tigray, Aksum and Mekele. From those there are daily flights heading south towards Addis Abeba, Lalibela, Gondar and Bahir Dar. Most flights to Gondar and Bahir Dar also make a 15 minutes stopover in Lalibela. There are also daily flights between Aksum and Mekele. By bus There are two main roads leading to Tigray: Highway 1 which runs all the way between Addis Abeba and Asmara through Mekele and the road between Aksum and Gondar. Notice that the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia is closed. For further information about how to get in by bus check the pages for Mekele and Aksum. Get around See Itineraries Do Eat Drink Stay safe As of 2012, there are still ongoing clashes between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Stay on the main roads. Many governments recommend that their citizens keep a distance of at least 10 kilometres (6 miles)from the Eritrean border. Highway 1 running south towards Addis Abeba should be safe and the road between Aksum and Mekele is considered safe. There is a minor problem with bandits in the countryside near the border. The Eritrean troops have crossed the border and caused damage. It is important to follow advisories, if you do, there should be no problem. Get out very dangerous place. do not go to tigray This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow!