Mek'ele
መቐለ | |
---|---|
City | |
![]() A street in Mek'ele | |
Country | ![]() |
Region | Tigray |
Zone | Debubawi (Southern) |
Area | |
• Total | 24.44 km2 (9.44 sq mi) |
Elevation | 2,084 m (6,837 ft) |
Population | |
• Total | 219,818 |
• Density | 9,000/km2 (23,000/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+3 (EAT) |
Area code | (+251) 34 |
Mekelle (Tigrinya: መቐለ, Amharic: መቀሌ, romanized: mäqälle, mek’elē) or Mekele a city in Ethiopia. It is the capital city of the Tigray Region. It is in the north of the region. It had 219,818 people as of 2012.
The city was founded in the 13th century according to historians. It was one of the major cities of Enderta province. It was chosen as the capital of Yohannes IV's realm. There was a riot that broke out between Ethiopian Orthodox and Adventist worshipers on 29 December 2002. The riot resulted in five deaths and three others were seriously injured.[1] The city is one of the country's principal economic and educational centers.