Mota

History

Due to the presence of Sebara Dildiy, one of only two bridges across the Abay River until the late 19th century, Mota became a major commercial center. Described by at least one group of European travellers as "the most considerable market" in Gojjam; it attracted merchants from as far away as Begemder, Gondar and Tigray. To reinstate the commerce prior to the bridge being broken, an organization named Bridges to Prosperity is building a 100-meter suspended pedestrian bridge to provide safe access Those crossing the river are able to obtain cotton cloth, cattle, and horses. Likewise, Mota was the seat of an important royal fiefdom during the Gondarine period, and a notable place for asylum in the early 19th century. The artist Aleqa Elyas Hailu, believed to be Ethiopia's first foreign-trained artist, was born in Mota around 1861. He worked mostly in Shewa where he decorated manuscripts and many churches, although he also decorated one in his native town. His son Aleqa Gebre Ezgziabher Elyas was a man of literature, writing the Royal Chronicle of Lij Iyasu and the Empress Zewditu. During the 1930s, its market day was on Thursday. During the East African Campaign, units of Gideon Force managed to bluff the Italian garrison into surrendering 24 April 1941. In October 2009, zonal officials announced that construction of 47-km road connecting Mota and Digua Tsion had begun, with a budget of over 147 million Birr and completion expected by September 2010.

Most-observed species

• gelada

  Theropithecus gelada (Rüppell, 1835) · Mammalia
  1