Agbe is the main locality of the

Tanqua Millash Tanqua Millash () is a Districts of Ethiopia, woreda in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Maekelay Zone, Central Tigray zone, Tanqua Millash was created from parts of the Abergele_(Ethiopian_District), Tanqua Abergelle and Dogu’a T ...

district of the

Tigray Region The Tigray Region (or simply Tigray; officially the Tigray National Regional State) is the northernmost Regions of Ethiopia, regional state in Ethiopia. The Tigray Region is the homeland of the Tigrayan, Irob people, Irob and Kunama people. I ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

. The municipality (''tabia'') centre is in Sele town. Until January 2020, Agbe belonged to the

Abergele Abergele (; ) is a market town and community (Wales), community, situated on the north coast of Wales between the holiday resorts of Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, in Conwy County Borough. It lies within the historic counties of Wales, historic county b ...

district.

Geography

The ''tabia'' occupies the southwestern footslopes of the

Degua Tembien Dogu'a Tembien (, "Upper Tembien", sometimes transliterated as Degua Tembien or Dägʿa Tämben) is a districts of Ethiopia, woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is named in part after the former province of Tembien Province, Tembien. Nowadays, ...

massif.

Geology

From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present: *

Antalo Limestone The Antalo Limestone, also known as the Antalo Sequence, is a geological formation in Ethiopia. It is between 300 and 800 metres thick and comprises fossiliferous limestones and marls that were deposited in a reef. Marine microfossils have shown ...

Adigrat Sandstone The Adigrat Sandstone formation in north Ethiopia, in a wide array of reddish colours, comprises sandstones with coarse to fine grains, and locally conglomerates, silt- and claystones. Given the many lateritic palaeosols and locally fossil woo ...

Edaga Arbi Glacials The Edaga Arbi Glacials are a Palaeozoic geological formation in Tigray (northern Ethiopia) and in Eritrea. The matrix is composed of grey, black and purple clays (locally silt), that contains rock fragments up to 6 metres across. Pollen dating yi ...

Springs

As there are no permanent rivers, the presence of springs is of utmost importance for the local people. The main springs in the ''tabia'' are may Hitsare and Ayni Sele they are in Agbe, where construction works for a soft drinks factory have been started.

Settlements

The ''tabia'' centre Sele holds a few administrative offices, a health post, a primary school, and some small shops. There are a few more primary schools across the ''tabia''. The main other populated places are: * Agbe * Kalazban * Ch’ekh * Milehay Mereu * Meserete Birhan * Babdre * Enda Abune Hawarya * Deleq * Sheka ( shagla Muren) * Gereb Giba * Shewuate Hugum * Adi Wahro * Majur * Shekah Fuqur * Adi Siera * Adi Qeley * Adenna * Adi Nifas * Hadush Adi * Jibare * Zuqli * Menew * Yeresere * Enda Maryam Qorar * Kerene * Dawusra * kamshana * Seyemtirba

Economy and livelihood

The population lives essentially from crop farming, supplemented with off-season work in nearby towns. The farmers have adapted their

cropping system The term cropping system refers to the crops, crop sequences and management techniques used on a particular agricultural field over a period of years. It includes all spatial and temporal aspects of managing an agricultural system. Historically, cro ...

s to the spatio-temporal variability in rainfall. In a certain way, there is irrigation of various fruits and peppers in “Shekah” irrigation with water from both sources Hitsare and Ayni Sele springs Historically Friday was the Market day of Agbe but Since 2004, it has been changed to Saturday by order of the local administration this day Saturday is the market day.

History and culture

History

The history of the ''tabia'' is strongly confounded with the

history of Tembien Tembien (Tigrinya language, Tigrigna: ተምቤን) is a historic region in Tigray Region and former provinces of Ethiopia. It is a mountainous area of that country. During the reforms in 1994–95, the old provinces were replaced with regions of ...

Religion and churches

Agbe is the birthplace of Ligaba Guangul Riese, who was the palace protocol of Emperor Yohannes IV. Children: Degezmati Gebremedhn Guangul and Degezmati Seyoum Guangul Grand Children: Fitawurari Girmay and Fitawurari Yohannes Agbe is surrounded by many ancient monasteries including Qeqema Maryam, Chikh Selassie, and Mennewe Libanos Most inhabitants are Orthodox Christians.

Roads and communication

The main road

Mekelle Mekelle (), or Mek'ele, is a List of zones of Ethiopia, special zone and capital city, capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta province, Enderta Awrajja, awraja in Tigray Province, Tigray. It is locate ...

– Hagere Selam –

Abiy Addi Abiy Addi (also spelled Abi Addi; Tigrigna ዓብዪ ዓዲ "Big town") is a town in central Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Abiy Addi is at the southeastern edge of the Kola Tembien woreda, of which it is the capital. Overview The town is divided i ...

runs through the centre of the ''tabia''. There are regular bus services to these towns.

Tourism

Its mountainous nature and proximity to

makes the ''tabia'' fit for tourism.

Trekking routes

Trekking routes have been established in this ''tabia''. The tracks are not marked on the ground but can be followed using downloaded .GPX files. * Trek 8, is from Agbe to

Kemishana Simret is a municipality in the Tanqua Millash district of the Tigray Region, Ethiopia, which comprises the longest cave of Tigray in Zeyi, as well as Ras Alula’s birthplace in Mennewe. The municipality centre is in Dengolo village. Until Jan ...

, and further across

May Selelo The May Selelo is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Degua Tembien, Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows southward to empty in the Giba River, Giba and Tekezé River. Characteristics It is a confined ephemeral r ...

and Zikuli Rivers, along gorges and Zeyi cave to

Inda Maryam Qorar Seret is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The ''tabia'' centre is in Inda Maryam Qorar village, located approximately 11 km to the southwest of the ''woreda'' town Hagere Selam. ...

* Trek 19, from Sele to

Debre Sema'it Debar ( ; , sq-definite, Dibra or Dibra e Madhe) is a city in the western part of North Macedonia, near the border with Albania, off the road from Struga to Gostivar. It is the seat of Debar Municipality. Debar has an ethnic Albanian majority ...

, and then it continues to

Both treks involve a vertical interval of more than one kilometer and require good physical conditions.

Accommodation and facilities

Though facilities are basic, the inhabitants are hospitable.

References

{{reflist Populated places in the Tigray Region