Mekane Berhan

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Mekane Berhan
Mekane Berhan Location in Ethiopia
Coordinates: 12°59′N 38°07′E / 12.983, 38.117
Country	‎ Ethiopia
Region	Amhara Region
Zone	Semien Gondar Zone
Elevation	2,900 m (9,514 ft)
Population (2005)
- Total	2,717 (est)
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)

Mekane Berhan (Ge'ez: መካነ ብርሃን mekāne birhān, "Place of light") is a town in northern Ethiopia. Located in the Semien Gondar Zone of the Amhara Region, Mekane Berhan has a latitude and longitude of 12°59′N, 38°07′E with an elevation of approximately 2900 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Jan Amora woreda.

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this town has an estimated total population of 2,717, of whom 1,182 were males and 1,535 were females.^[1] The 1994 census reported this town had a total population of 622,962,1584 of whom 622 were males and 962 were females.

Mekane Berhan is best known as the location of the Derasge Mariam church where Tewodros II was crowned emperor 11 February 1855. According to local tradition, following his victory over Wube Haile Maryam he discovered that Wube had prepared the church for his coronation as Emperor and invited numerous dignitaries from all over Ethiopia, and since he planned on becoming Emperor, Tewodros decided not to let such elaborate preparations to waste and had himself crowned Emperor instead.^[2] Materials on the Nordic Africa Institute website include selections from Dervla Murphy's travel memoir about her visit to this town in January, 1967.^[3]

[edit] Notes

1. ^ CSA 2005 National Statistics, Table B.3
2. ^ John Graham, "The National Parks of Ethiopia: Simien Mountains - Part III" (Addis Tribune, published July 2001)
3. ^ "Local History in Ethiopia" (pdf) The Nordic Africa Institute website (accessed 9 May 2008)