Angot (
Amharic: አንጎት, translated as "Neck," possibly referring to the provinces geography) was a historical
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
in northern Ethiopia. It was bordered on the west by
Bugna and the Afar lowlands to the east and southeast,
Ambassel
Ambassel (Amharic: ዐምባሰል) is a woreda in Amhara Region, Ethiopia, and an ''amba'', or mountain fortress, located in the woreda. The word Ambasel is derived from two words "Amba" from the Amharic word for plateau, and “Asel” from the ...
to the southwest and
Lasta
Lasta (Amharic: ላስታ ''lāstā'') is a historic district in northern Ethiopia. It is the district in which Lalibela is situated, the former capital of Ethiopia during the Zagwe dynasty and home to 11 medieval rock-hewn churches. Its original ...
to the north.
Axumite History
Under the reign of
Degna Djan, during the 10th century, the empire kept expanding south, and sent troops into the modern-day region of
Kaffa, while at the same time undertaking missionary activity into Angot. Emperor
Dil Na'od
Dil Na'od was the last King of Aksum before the Zagwe dynasty. He lived in either the 9th or 10th century. Dil Na'od was the younger son of Ged'a Jan (or Degna Djan), and succeeded his older brother 'Anbasa Wedem as ''negus''. According to E. ...
is said to have relocated the capital to Ku'bar on the shore of
Lake Hayq, south of Angot, and built the
Istifanos Monastery.
Aksum
Axum, or Aksum (pronounced: ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015).
It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire, a naval and trading power that ruled the whole regio ...
by that time was no longer the center of the Christian kingdom, and was instead a frontier town, threatened from the west and south by the Bete Israel and from the north by invading Beja tribes. Angot was a much more defensible position, a decision that proved wise when Beta Israel captured Aksum during Queen
Gudit
Gudit ( gez, ጉዲት) is the Classical Ethiopic name for a personage also known as Yodit in Tigray, and Amharic, but also Isato in Amharic and Ga'wa in Ţilţal. The personage behind these various alternative names is portrayed as a power ...
's invasion. The capital, called Ku'bar or Jarmi,
was probably located in southern
Tigray or Angot, however the exact location of this city is currently unknown.
Later history
Angot is mentioned as being north of
Bete Amhara
Bete Amhara (Amharic: ቤተ አማራ, Ge'ez: ቤተ ዐምሐራ, translation: "House of Amhara") is a historical region that is located in north central Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Íti ...
in the medieval period.
[Taddesse Tamrat, ''Church and State in Ethiopia'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), p. 53.] Angot was on the front line between Abyssinia and the Afar lowlands, and after multiple wars, was occupied by the Galla (
Oromo) tribes of Raya, Wello and Yejju. In more recent times, it became part of
Wollo Province
Wollo ( Amharic: ወሎ) was a historical province of northern Ethiopia that overlayed part of the present day Amhara, Afar, and Tigray regions. During the Middle Ages this region was known as Bete Amhara and had Amhara kings. Bete Amhara ha ...
and is now the northern part of
North Wollo Zone
North Wollo (Amharic: ሰሜን ወሎ) also called Semien Wollo, is a zone in Amhara Region of Ethiopia. It is bordered on the south by South Wollo, on the west by South Gondar, on the north by Wag Hemra, on the northeast by Tigray Region, a ...
.
References
{{coord missing, Ethiopia
Provinces of Ethiopia
History of Ethiopia