Chalacot or Chelekot ,Tigray Region of Ethiopia [ጨለቆት ስላሴ : ትግራይ ኢትዮጵያ]
While I was studying at Mek’ele Univesity, I have traveled to many
places in the Northern part of Ethiopia, My first trip was, a trip to chalacko
Selassie Church. When Mek’ele University was relocated, It came to the out
skirt of the city, Arid’ compound. There is a Church Called Endayesus Campus which have been
there for decades. So the campus included the Church to its compound.I couldn't find the exact time Endayesus church was built but its more than a
century, The Italian army established their fort near the Endayesus
church above Mek'ele in October
1895. After the re-occupation of Ambalage’ in late 1895, the fort was besieged
by Ethiopian troops, who cut the Italians' water supply. There is this amazing
Italian cemetery with in the vicinity of the Church (I will write about it some
other time)
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| Endayesus Church till recent years |
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| Endayesu Church in the old days (Before MU relocation) |
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| Endayesus Church compound around 1997 E.C |
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| Current New Cathedral of Endayesu Church |
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| Italian Solders Cemetery |
So the Sunday school at Endayesus Church has a department for travel and I was a member and participant.
Sunday, ታሀሳስ 1996 ዓ ም (28th
December 2003G.C) we had a trip to ChalakotSelassis, Chalacot or Chelekot is
a village in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in
the Enderta woreda of the DebubMisraqawi (Southeastern) Zone, 10
kilometers north of Antalo and 17 kilometers south of Mek'ele.
We were divided in to 19 groups
each group has 20 students so totally about 380 students had participated in
this trip. After the committee has arranged the food and water by Saturday night,Sunday around 0345
AM we gathered at the gate of the Campus and then we hit the road by walking at
0400 AM, on our way there was a discussion among each group about campus life,
brotherhood, giving services to the Church and receiving services from the church,
hymns and spiritual songs and we arrived at Chalakot Selassie around 1000 AM which was about six hours of continuous and moderate walking.
Ras Wolde
Selassie made Chalacot his capital, and received Henry Salt there in 1810. The Ras built a
palace in the village and the church Chelekot Selassie, which Philip Briggs
described as an "architecturally impressive example of the circular tikul (ትኩል) styles
of paintings" and "covered in beautiful 19th-century
paintings".When Wolde Selassie died in Chalacot (1816), his
nephew Walda Rufa'el sacked
it.
After we visited the church, the epic
paintings and the spectacular views we had our lunch. Talking about lunch, it
was quite a nice Ye Enjera Burger(የአንጀራ በርገር). Thanks to the catering staff at the campus,
they prepared this special burger. In case you want to try it. Put one enjera
on the plate then pour thick sauce or ‘shiro wet’(ሽሮ ወጥ) and put one more enjera on
top and keep it is a cool place for a night, then you will get the burger we
ate on my trip. After taking a little rest we resumed our journey back to the
campus.
Back then I was using Kodak analogue
camera, I don’t have most of the pictures I took as soft copy now. I will make
time to scan and make them available or future references.
Thank you for your time! ከታላቅ ምስጋና ጋር!
I will see you in Jerusalem on my next
stop.
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