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Menachek is a ''tabia'' or municipality in the Tanqua Millash 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 ...
of
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 ''tabia'' centre is in Addi Bayro village (also called "Debre Birhan"). Until January 2020 it belonged to the Dogu'a Tembien district.


Geography

The ''tabia'' occupies the flanks of the valley of the
Tsech'i River The Tsech'i is a river of the Nile basin. Rising in the mountains of Dogu’a Tembien in northern Ethiopia, it flows westward to empty finally in Giba and Tekezé River. Characteristics It is a confined ephemeral river, locally meandering i ...
that drains Dogu'a Tembien to the west. The highest peak is near Welekhlekha (almost 2700 m a.s.l.) and the lowest place in the lower Tsech'i gorge (1920 m a.s.l.).


Geology

From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present: * Upper basalt * Interbedded lacustrine deposits * Lower basalt * Amba Aradam Formation * Adigrat Sandstone


Geomorphology and soils

The main
geomorphic Geomorphology () is the scientific study of the origin and evolution of topography, topographic and bathymetry, bathymetric features generated by physical, chemical or biological processes operating at or near Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. Ge ...
units, with corresponding soil types are: * Hagere Selam Highlands, along the central basalt and sandstone ridge ** Associated soil types *** shallow soils with high stone contents (Skeletic
Cambisol A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pro ...
, Leptic
Cambisol A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pro ...
, Skeletic
Regosol A Regosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is very weakly developed mineral soil in Soil consolidation, unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in erosion, eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and i ...
) *** moderately deep dark stony
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
s with good natural fertility (Vertic
Cambisol A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pro ...
) *** deep, dark cracking
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
s, temporarily waterlogged during the wet season (Pellic
Vertisol A vertisol is a Soil Order in the USDA soil taxonomy and a Reference Soil Group in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). It is also defined in many other soil classification systems. In the Australian Soil Classification it is c ...
) ** Inclusions *** Rock outcrops and very shallow soils (Lithic
Leptosol A Leptosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a very shallow soil over continuous rock or a deeper soil that is extremely rich in coarse fragments (gravelly and/or stony). Leptosols cover approximately 1.7 billion hectares o ...
) *** Rock outcrops and very shallow soils on limestone (Calcaric
Leptosol A Leptosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a very shallow soil over continuous rock or a deeper soil that is extremely rich in coarse fragments (gravelly and/or stony). Leptosols cover approximately 1.7 billion hectares o ...
) *** Deep dark cracking
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
s with very good natural fertility, waterlogged during the wet season (Chromic
Vertisol A vertisol is a Soil Order in the USDA soil taxonomy and a Reference Soil Group in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). It is also defined in many other soil classification systems. In the Australian Soil Classification it is c ...
, Pellic
Vertisol A vertisol is a Soil Order in the USDA soil taxonomy and a Reference Soil Group in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). It is also defined in many other soil classification systems. In the Australian Soil Classification it is c ...
) *** Shallow stony dark
loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...
s on calcaric material (Calcaric
Regosol A Regosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is very weakly developed mineral soil in Soil consolidation, unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in erosion, eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and i ...
, Calcaric
Cambisol A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pro ...
) *** Brown
loam Loam (in geology and soil science) is soil composed mostly of sand (particle size > ), silt (particle size > ), and a smaller amount of clay (particle size < ). By weight, its mineral composition is about 40–40–20% concentration of sand–si ...
y soils on basalt with good natural fertility (
Luvisol Luvisols are a group of soils, comprising one of the 32 Reference Soil Groups in the international system of soil classification, the World Reference Base for Soil Resources The World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is an international ...
) * Adigrat Sandstone cliff and footslope ** Associated soil types *** complex of rock outcrops, very stony and very shallow soils ((Lithic)
Leptosol A Leptosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a very shallow soil over continuous rock or a deeper soil that is extremely rich in coarse fragments (gravelly and/or stony). Leptosols cover approximately 1.7 billion hectares o ...
) *** shallow, stony sandy Regosol A Regosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is very weakly developed mineral soil in Soil consolidation, unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in erosion, eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and i ...
and
Cambisol A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pro ...
) ** Inclusions *** shallow, dry soils with very high amounts of stones (Leptic and Skeletic
Cambisol A Cambisol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is a soil in the beginning of soil formation. The horizon differentiation is weak. This is evident from weak, mostly brownish discolouration and/or structure formation in the soil pro ...
and
Regosol A Regosol in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB) is very weakly developed mineral soil in Soil consolidation, unconsolidated materials. Regosols are extensive in erosion, eroding lands, in particular in arid and semi-arid areas and i ...
) *** deep, dark cracking
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
s with good fertility, but problems of waterlogging (agriculture) ">waterlogging (Chromic and Pellic
Vertisol A vertisol is a Soil Order in the USDA soil taxonomy and a Reference Soil Group in the World Reference Base for Soil Resources (WRB). It is also defined in many other soil classification systems. In the Australian Soil Classification it is c ...
) *** soils with stagnating water due to an abrupt textural change such as sand over
clay Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, ). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impuriti ...
(Haplic Planosol)


Climate

The rainfall pattern shows a very high seasonality with 70 to 80% of the annual rain falling in July and August. Mean temperature in xxx is 17.4 °C, oscillating between average daily minimum of 9.6 °C and maximum of 24.8 °C. The contrasts between day and night air temperatures are much larger than seasonal contrasts.


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 Gfay * May Tsechi * Gigbana


Reservoirs

In this area with rains that last only for a couple of months per year, reservoirs of different sizes allow harvesting runoff from the rainy season for further use in the dry season. * Traditional surface water harvesting ponds, particularly in places without permanent springs, called ''rahaya'' * ''Horoyo'', household ponds, recently constructed through campaigns


Settlements

The ''tabia'' centre Addi Bayro 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: * Welekhlekha * Tsech'i * Gulha


Agriculture and livelihood

The population lives essentially from crop farming, supplemented with off-season work in nearby towns. The land is dominated by
farmland Agricultural land is typically land ''devoted to'' agriculture, the systematic and controlled use of other forms of lifeparticularly the rearing of livestock and production of cropsto produce food for humans. It is generally synonymous with bot ...
s which are clearly demarcated and are cropped every year. Hence the agricultural system is a permanent upland
farming system Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food ...
. 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. An elongated rugged landscape extends to the west of the tabia, which is used for
transhumance Transhumance is a type of pastoralism or Nomad, nomadism, a seasonal movement of livestock between fixed summer and winter pastures. In montane regions (''vertical transhumance''), it implies movement between higher pastures in summer and low ...
.


History and culture


Caves and archaeological sites

The Danei Kawlos cave in the Tsech'i gorge at the west of Menachek at an elevation of about 2020 metres, is some 13.5 metres long (). It contains lithic tools, potsherds, and faunal remains of
Pastoral Neolithic The Pastoral Neolithic (5000 BP - 1200 BP) refers to a period in Africa's prehistory, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, marking the beginning of food production, livestock domestication, and pottery use in the region following the Later Stone Age. ...
age.Agazi Negash. (2001). The Holocene Pre-Historic Archaeology of the Temben Region of Northern Ethiopia (PhD dissertation). University of Florida.
/ref> Further down, the May Ila open-air site in the Tsech'i gorge at the extreme west of Menachek at a height of about 1990 metres () contains blades, blade cores, and a few potsherds of
Pastoral Neolithic The Pastoral Neolithic (5000 BP - 1200 BP) refers to a period in Africa's prehistory, specifically Tanzania and Kenya, marking the beginning of food production, livestock domestication, and pottery use in the region following the Later Stone Age. ...
age.


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

Most inhabitants are Orthodox Christians. The Gulha Maryam church with its large forest is located in the ''tabia''.


''Inda Siwa'', the local beer houses

In the main villages, there are traditional beer houses ('' Inda Siwa'').


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 2 to 5 km south and east of the ''tabia''. There are regular bus services to these towns. Further, a rural access road links Addi Bayro and Welekhlekha to the main asphalt road.


Tourism

Its mountainous nature and proximity to
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 ...
makes the ''tabia'' fit for tourism. The high variability of geological formations and the rugged topography invites for geological and geographic tourism or "geotourism". Trekking routes 7 and 19 pass along the southern ridge in this ''tabia''. The tracks are not marked on the ground but can be followed using downloaded .GPX files. They link Inda Maryam Qorar to Debre Sema'it rock church. Facilities in Menachek are very basic.


See also

* Dogu'a Tembien district.


References

{{ Tabias (municipalities) of Dogu’a Tembien Populated places in the Tigray Region Dogu'a Tembien