Dessie

History

Prior to Dessie's foundation, the major settlement in this area was Wasal, mentioned in an early 16th-century Italian itinerary. Dessie was founded by Emperor Yohannes IV who was camping in the highlands to the west of the Chefa Valley in 1882 on an expedition to forcefully convert the Muslims who lived in the region to Christianity. As he was looking for a place to centralize his power in Wollo, he stayed overnight in a pre-existing town that is now contained within Dessie. While there, he spotted a comet. He was so impressed by the sight of it that he interpreted it to be a sign from heaven to found his capital city there. A similar story to Zara Yaqob's founding of his capital, Debre Birhan. Thus, he named it Dessie (Amharic: "My Joy"), as a reference to the elation that the comet had made him feel. Though founded and named by Yohannes, Dessie was beyond his dominions, for already in 1878 he recognized Wollo as being under the jurisdiction of Menelik II. Menelik's writ in the province, however, was weak and in 1888 handed its governorship to Ras Mikael. In 1892, Ras Mikael married the daughter of Menelik in the town, thus further integrating Wollo and Shewa. The strategic importance of Dessie became apparent during the First Italo-Ethiopian War, when the Emperor and his forces passed through the town on their way to and from Tigray. Dessie's location led to the telegraph line constructed between 1902 and 1904 from Asmara south to Addis Ababa, passing through the city, and giving it a local telegraph office. Also in 1904, the Italian Giuseppe Bonaiuti took part in constructing a fair-weather road connecting the city to Addis Ababa. During the Italian invasion, Dessie was first bombed 6 December 1935; the American Hospital was one of the buildings damaged in the…

Most-observed species

• Dusky Turtle-Dove

  Streptopelia lugens (Rüppell, 1837) · Aves
  3
• Recurved Thorn-apple, Pricklyburr, Downy thorn-apple

  Datura innoxia Mill. · Magnoliopsida
  2
• gelada

  Theropithecus gelada (Rüppell, 1835) · Mammalia
  1
• Greater Blue-eared Starling

  Lamprotornis chalybaeus Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1828 · Aves
  1
• Baglafecht Weaver

  Ploceus baglafecht (Daudin, 1802) · Aves
  1
• Red-eyed Dove

  Streptopelia semitorquata (Rüppell, 1837) · Aves
  1
• Abyssinian-banana

  Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman · Liliopsida
  1
• Centuryplant

  Agave americana L. · Liliopsida
  1

Most recent

• M 4.4 — 2024-07-06
  38 km S of Robīt, Ethiopia
• M 4.5 — 2020-01-20
  16 km S of Kemis?, Ethiopia
• M 4.2 — 2014-06-20
  56 km WNW of Were ?lu, Ethiopia
• M 4.6 — 2005-09-28
  65 km NNE of Bat?, Ethiopia
• M 4.1 — 2005-09-25
  59 km NE of Bat?, Ethiopia
• M 4.6 — 2004-01-18
  23 km WSW of Kemis?, Ethiopia