Addis Alem (town)

Addis Alem (Amharic: ዐዲስ ዓለም) also known as Ejere (Oromo: Ejjeree, officially known as Ejere is a town in central Ethiopia. Located in the West Shewa Zone of the Oromia Region, west of Addis Ababa, this town has a latitude and longitude of 9.03333°N, 38.4°W with an elevation of about 2360 meters above sea level.

Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, this town has an estimated total population of 13,423 of whom 6,420 were males and 7,003 were females. The 1994 census reported this town had a total population of 7,516 of whom 3,482 were males and 4,034 were females. It is the largest settlement in Ejere Woreda.

Ejere is known for the Church of St. Marry of Zion of Addis Alem. The basilica's exterior, as well as the maqdas (inner sanctuary), are entirely covered with murals. Its adjacent museum burned to the ground in 1997; however a new one has since opened.

History
While Emperor Menelik went to war with king Teklehaymanot of Gojam to Embabo a place found in Wollega, he saw a beautiful place on his road near the capital city Addis Ababa full of forest and coined the place with Amharic term Addis Alem meaning New World. Later on Emperor Menelik II after his victory went back to Addis Ababa. As time going wood supply became a problem for the Addis Ababa as it was the main source of energy at the time. For this reason the Emperor decided to move the capital city to the newly found area Addis Alem which is 40km west of Addis ababa. Construction of Palace started immediately by construction professionals from India and 20,000 members of the Welega Oromo busy in constructing buildings in the new city. By 1903 the Emperor decided to keep the capital at Addis Ababa due to the refusal of Empress Taytu Betul and Foreign Diplomats, since that is economically consuming for them to construct new consular offices at the newly found place. Other scholars say the introduction of the eucalyptus tree in the Entoto Hills near Addis Ababa solved a shortage of firewood and that made the emperor to remain in Addis Ababa. And so the Emperor decided to make the newly constructed fascinating palace into Church of St. Marry of Zion of Addis Alem. He brought the historical tablet/Ark from Ankober with 600 clergy men with it. The Ark is believed to be associated with former Ethiopian Kings and has history of around 2000 years. The emperor build another place near the church for his summer and for prayers when coming to the church following years. The new palace currently serve as a museum and visited by locals and foreigners. The first man to visit the museum were Emperor Hailesilassie I. And he was actually the man who ordered to convert the palace to be a museum.

Hailesselasie I discussing with the local peoples of Addis Alem, Many of the residents requested his majesty to build High school. And as per the peoples request modern high school with adequate equipment were built by his imperial majesty. Since its establishment that high school provided many notable peoples in the Ethiopian history. Among them are Professor Gebisa Ejeta, the current president of Regional state of Oromia Obbo Shimelis Abdisa, Associate Professor Nebiyu Baye, Dr. Muluwork Tefera, pediatrician in Tikur Anbessa specialised Hospital. The city had an important place in the era of the kings and Italian occupation but for unknown reasons the importance of the town faded specially after the EPRDF rule the country.

The first paved road in Ethiopia was constructed between Addis Alem and the capital Addis Ababa im 1904.

During the Italian occupation, a factory for the production of slaked lime was established during the Italian time, and in its first year of production it turned out 30,000 hundredweights of the material. On 2 December 1940 the Arbegnoch, led by Admiqe Besha, attacked the Italian garrison. The Italians lost 72 men, and 2,007 rifles, cannons and hand grenades. On 3 April in the following year, the Italians sent a cavalry regiment 450 strong to recapture Ejerie; There it was defeated by the Arbegnoch superior numbers, leaving 42 men on the ground and 30 other injured including the regiment commander Vittorio Casardi.

About the city name
The town was officially called Addis Alem up until 2013. Later on due to the political situations related to idedntity the town's administrative body decided the town to be called Ejere by the name of an Oromo Land lord Ejere Chengere Who owned the current place before Emperor Menelik II came to the area. Emeperor Menelik II and Ejere Chengere made a deal and the Emperor got a permission to build the palace at the time. So, currently the official name for the town is Ejere but peoples use both names as needed interchangeably.

Hidar Zion/ Hidar Mariam
Hidar Mariam is annual ceremony celebrated on November 29 in Addis Alem St Marry Church of Zion by Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido church believers. In the ceremony an estimated of 100 000 believers come across the country to commemorate the Victory of The Ark Of The covenant made againist Dagon in the Babilon. In that day the town get the busiest of all days of the year because of the mass population who came to attend the ceremony. The celebration starts November 28 evening at 9:00 pm with Sweet to hear lyrics of Ankober Wereb within the church.

The traditional school
Addis Alem town owns the largest traditional education in Ethiopia of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church. The main campus owns an estimated area of 15,000 sq m and has another two branches 1 km from the main campus. The school began teaching the traditional Ethiopian Orthodox lesson at the time of Emperor Haileselassie. The school consists of the Degua, an estimated 5 yr lyrics type course developed by St, Yared. Akuakuam, Kidassie, Metsihaf and Qine. It also produced many notable spiritual and governmental peoples which among them: the second Ethiopian orthodox patriarichate Abune Tewoflos, Abune Gorgorios II the one who established Mahibere Kidusan, Mengistu Haile Mariam and others.

Notable peoples
A number of notable Peoples are associated with this town. The church has some art work by Abebe Wolde Giorgis (1897-1967), who studied in France for 18 years, has contributed to the art work of the church of St. Maryam. Worku Mammo Dessalegn, born in Addis Alem in 1935, lost both hands in an accident while playing with a bomb at the age of twelve; he attended the Art School in 1960-1962, later studied in the USSR and then returned to the Art School in Addis Ababa as a teacher. A third is Tadesse Bedaso Begna, born in Addis Alem in 1943, who attended a Baptist school, graduated from the Art School in 1966 and then studied graphic arts in London; he has designed stamps, posters and insignia. 4th is Mengistu Hailemariam who led the country from 1974 to 1991 was born in Addis Alem though many controversies in his birth place. Like Gubae Fekade-Selassie Tefera, a man with high priestly knowledge in EOTC teachings and Western Sciences and the one who organized and wrote Addis Alem Mariam's Church History.Associate professor Nebiyu Baye was also from Addis Alem.