Debre Berhan

Debre Berhan ( Amharic ደብረ ብርሃን däbrä bərhan [ dəbrə bɨrhan ] " Mountain of Light ", Debre Birhan also ) is a city in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, 120 km northeast of Addis Ababa on the road to Dese located at an altitude of 2805 m. For 2006, a population of 59 796 is expected. The city was one of the first capitals of Ethiopia. Together with Ankobar Angolalla and she was one of the residences of the Kingdom of Shewa.

History

Debre Berhan was founded in the reign of Emperor Zara Yaqob. Starting from a " supernatural " light that was seen in the sky over this place. This light was interpreted as a sign of God and has been associated with the stoning of 38 heretics the day before. Then the emperor ordered the construction of a church on this site and later a more extensive castle complex. Then another church was built, which is dedicated to St. Cyriycus. Zara Yaqob spent 12 of his last years in this place. The historian Richard Pankhurst gives as the date for the establishment of the first church in the year 1456. The reason given is that the light in the sky Halley's comet would have been.

Debre Berhan was a long time after a better village and meaningless. This changed during the reign of Asfa Wasan (1775-1808), of a palace was built at the place and was staying in Debre Berhan, Ankobar and Angolalla alike. His son Sahle Selassie has built up the place again after it was devastated by an Oromo revolt, leaving the Trinity Church errichten.1