The Central Zone (Tigrinya: ዞባ ማእከላይ, romanized: Zobā Māʼékalāy) is a zone in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Towns and cities in the Central Zone include Axum and Adwa, as well as the historically significant village of Yeha and the town of Tembien Abiyi Adi. The Central Zone is bordered on the east by the Eastern Zone, on the south by South Eastern Zone, on the west by North Western Zone and on the north by Eritrea.
The Eastern Zone (Tigrinya: ዞባ ምብራቕ) is a zone in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. It is bordered on the east by the Afar Region, on the south by the South Eastern Zone, on the west by the Central Zone and on the north by Eritrea. Its highest point is Mount Asimba (3,250 m). Towns and cities in the Eastern Zone include Adigrat, Atsbi, Hawzen, and Wukro.
Axum, also spelled Aksum (/ˈɑːksuːm/ ), is a town in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia with a population of 66,900 residents (as of 2015). It is the site of the historic capital of the Aksumite Empire.
Axum is located in the Central Zone of the Tigray Region, near the base of the Adwa mountains. It has an elevation of 2,131 metres (6,991 feet) and is surrounded by La'ilay Maychew, a separately administered woreda of the Tigray region.
Adwa (Tigrinya: ዓድዋ; Amharic: ዐድዋ; Arabic: عدوة also spelled Adowa or Aduwa) is a town and separate woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. It is best known as the community closest to the site of the 1896 Battle of Adwa, in which Ethiopian soldiers defeated Italian troops, thus being one of the few African nations to directly thwart European colonialism. Located in the Central Zone of the Tigray Region, Adwa has a longitude and latitude of 14°10′N 38°54′E / 14.167°N 38.900°E, and an elevation of 1907 meters. Adwa is surrounded by Adwa woreda.
Adwa is home to several notable churches: Adwa Enda-Gebri'el (built by Dejazmach Wolde Gebriel), Adwa Enda-Maryam (built by Ras Anda Haymanot), Adwa Edna-Medhane`Alem (built by Ras Sabagadis), Adwa Nigiste-Saba /Queen of Sheba secondary school, and Adwa Enda-Selasse. Near Adwa is Abba Garima Monastery, founded in the sixth century by one of the Nine Saints and known for its tenth century gospels. Also nearby is the village of Fremona, which had been the base of the 16th century Jesuits sent to convert Ethiopia to Catholicism.
Debre Dammo (Tigrinya: ደብረ ዳሞ), Däbrä Dammo (with the geminated -mm-) in Tigrinya or Däbrä Damo in later Amharic appellations (also spelled Debre Damo, Dabra Dāmmo or Däbrä Dammo), is the name of a flat-topped mountain, or amba, and a 6th-century monastery in Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The mountain is a steeply rising plateau of trapezoidal shape, about 1,000 by 400 m (3,300 by 1,300 ft) in dimension. It sits at an elevation of 2,216 m (7,270 ft) above sea level. It is north of Bizet and northwest of Adigrat in Central Zone, Tigray, close to the border with Eritrea.
The mountain hosts a monastery, accessible only by rope up a sheer cliff, 15 m (49 ft) high, is known for its collection of manuscripts and for having the earliest existing church building in Ethiopia that is still in its original style, and only men can visit it. Tradition claims that the monastery was founded in the 6th century by Abuna Aregawi.