Debarwa: The City of Ancient ‘Sea Lords’ Part I
Written by By Seare Habtemichael
Friday, 17 December 2010 09:43 -
Across the Mereb valley just 28 kms to the south of Asmara, Toyota Hilux suddenly came to a
stop. It was a photographer’s command. “Please wait, wait! Please stop here a minute,” yelled
our photographer. The driver took a quick look in the left mirror, slowed down the car, looked for
a position, and just across an eye-catching bridge he brought it to a stop. The photographer
hastily dropped of the car, went down the stream and quickly snapped half a dozen of shots of a
bridge from down the stream. Again he took another couple of shots from sideways “Can you
see how lovely the bridge is?” asked the photographer. “Yes, it is really a moving art,” replied
another friend. “But it is not a surprise; we will have a lot of them all along our way.”
Again, just after a 100 meters drive we would enjoy another small but interesting bridge. That
again is as majestic as the first one; they are of the same style and fashion.” From atop they
appear ordinary bridges. If one happens to take a closer look from down the stream, however,
the bridges appear as magnificent as an art of work in a distinguished gallery. No wonder, those
stylish bridges are the gatekeepers of an undiscovered city museum. Just past the bridges on a
hill we would discover another mystery; the home city of the ancient ‘Sea Lords’, Debarwa.
The legend of the old town begins in a newly constructed charismatic structure set up at the
center of the town, known as the Bahre Negestat Public Hall, literally interpreting, “the Hall of
the Sea Lords”. The hall, stationed in a large lovely garden, may look like an ordinary city park
aimed at entertaining people. Its striking setting attracts people from variety walks of life.
Especially in the shining Sunday mornings, sitting inside the refreshing heavenly garden of the
city hall, some busy businessmen discuss about the market. Somewhere under the shades and
behind the dancing flowers, a striking couple kicks their Coca Cola bottles while they are
intimately talk to each other.
Taking the advantage of weekend’s break, under the cool shades vibrating garden umbrellas, a
group of young Halhale Business College students joyously discuss on the supply and demand
of goods and services. Different from this situation, but in the same place and time, the mode of
a lonely old gentleman sitting far inside the garden with a cup of cappuccino on his table,
signals in a poles apart manner. The man, at times, aimlessly combs his long grey beard with
his fingers and at other times concentrates at a picture up through the transparent door of the
first floor of the hall. Looking responsively at the picture, the man speaks to himself loudly.
“Hero,” he howls. To him he was not alone talking with himself. He had gone far to memory. In
fact he was talking with his forefathers. He was revising the story of warriors of the early
centuries of the country who defended their homeland from barbarous invaders.
Understanding the mode of the gentleman, one may be tempted to know more about the picture
he was talking with. The picture depicts a story of a strong man in a crown riding a vigorous
1/3
Debarwa: The City of Ancient ‘Sea Lords’ Part I
Written by By Seare Habtemichael
Friday, 17 December 2010 09:43 -
horse. According to traditiona
l accounts it is the picture of the ancient king of the land of the sea, King Yishak. For this
reason, it is worth discovering more about the town, which is a source of pride to the people of
Eritrea. That picture is a password to access a bulk of undiscovered story about Debarwa. For
this reason, we had to contact the city museum; the old monastery up on the mountain to the
southwestern tip of the town.
In a ten minutes cruise along a zigzag way, we managed to reach at the monastery.
Fortunately, we were met by the Bishop of the town, Abba Mathiwos, who is believed to have
rich accounts on the town. According to him, Debarwa was an established city with a strong and
centralized kingdom, and an army of 17, 000 horsemen ever since 1800 B.C. The town was
also home to around 80 lines of kings. What is more? The first Christian Church in the region
was established in this town. According to traditional accounts, King Ezana of the well-known
ancient Aksumite kingdom,1st century B.C. until the early 7th century, adopted Christianity, here
in the town of Debarwa, from Abba Selama Kesete Berhan, the first Christian Missionary who
crossed the Red Sea to Eritrea to preach and expand Christianity in 328 G. C .
Then after, it is believed that two Christian Syrian boys, Aedisius and Frumentius, expanded
Christianity to the region in the same period. Prior to the conversion of King Ezana to
Christianity in Debarwa, little is known about the religions that existed in the region, and the
kingdom as a whole. It is said that some of the names of the gods who worshipped are still
surviving. Astar, believed to have more connection with Greek god Zues was the chief god, and
Mahrem was a war god which is similar to the Greek god Ares. To these end, remains of a
number of religious buildings still exist. In connection with this, a variety of inscriptions are
contained in a number of important old towns in Eritrea. The Red Sea port of Adulis was one of
the largest. It contained stone churches and houses. The language of the kings of the ancient
city of Debarwa was Ge’ez, for which its characters, scholars believe, is derived from alphabets
in use in southern Arabia for related languages. Besides, Geez was a language commonly used
in the ancient city of lords for trade as well as for official purposes.
Yet, according to the Church accounts, there is another memory in the town that is associated
with the kings of the region during the ancient times. At the southern tip of the town, on the way
to Halhale College, stands an average mountain known as Gobo Mslam. It is said that King
Ezana received his throne here on this mountain because Debarwa was responsible for the
blessing of newly adopted officials and kings. There is no official account to why that specific
mountain was chosen for that purpose; but its proximity to the first Christian Church could be
one of the reasons. Strolling up the street of the cute and fast growing town, one enjoys another
different historical memory.
2/3
Debarwa: The City of Ancient ‘Sea Lords’ Part I
Written by By Seare Habtemichael
Friday, 17 December 2010 09:43 -
Just
named
author
father
attempted
“Hanibbal
Pushkin’s
ordinary
climate,
some
660
market.
mm. some
2000
was
in
in
clean
fast
the
memory
Tigrinya
ancestors.
Hotel”,
to
200meters,
killed
meters
growing
18th
invade
and
in
has
century. is
of
refreshing
aabove
the
the
war
Abraham
With
town
been
on
Eritrean
between
the
sea
all
with
established
Itwork
is
environment.
north
widely
level,
Hanibbal,
a
believed
the
highlands
population
the
western
above
the
spoken,
then
and
town
that
the
stories
at
Extending
king
stands
tip
of
great
Abraham
enjoys
one
and
19,000.
of
of
Debarwa,
in
time.
the
grand
high
its
an
most
on
city
was
heart,
It
Thus,
annual
the
father
is
of
commonly
unique
abducted
up
bank
Debarwa
Debarwa,
at
town
on
rainfall
of
this
the
aof
for
in
hill,
time,
the
by
Russian
its
memory
used
that
and
currently,
stands
the
tail
serenity,
athe
varies
the
language
beautiful
of
Turks
famous
Mereb
Ottomans,
of
athe
majestic
Alexander
from
looks
moderate
when
hotel,
valley,
in
350
poet
like
his
who
hotel
–an
and
seems
respect.
along
Debarwa,
to
communications
services
24-hours
villages
possesses
indication
the
industrial
of
253
variety
A land
about
Church
Christian
ancient
private
the
lively.
of
has
of
The
82
have
electric
zone
businesses
eastern
that
at
and
the
abeen
city
investors
villages
the
name
cinema,
and
been
sub
the
a
which
ofmoment,
network
Mosque
power
reserved
Islam
tip
‘Lords
government
zone,
“Debarwa”
set
and
of
are
is
beautiful
and
the
followers,
up
open
supply,
amost
other
of
at
are
are,
is
factories
population
private
and
town.
the
aof
rapidly
and
bustling
side
is
regions,
modern
of
are
Sea.’ and
probably
in
Eritrea
Its
which
attractive
houses,
by
widely
including
the
smooth
meaning,
improving.
of
Hence,
side,
market
hotels
and
town.
85,000. is
has
used
derived
aanother
standing
to
the
roads
strong
mining
paid
Many
the
like
town.
foreign
perhaps,
capital
by
Cell
The
government
Hanibal
much
from
that
the
large
signal
more
projects.
It
phone
tall
old
and
is
citizens
of
connect
the
is
attention
in
the
is
city’s
are
of
“a
hotel
local
the
under
and
so
business
the
town
country,
The
rushing,
has
called
center
of
infrastructures
investors
fixed
the
and
people’s
the
construction.
to
future
once
whose
town
improve
Wehabit
Mereb
town.
telecommunication
of
and
Asmara. applying
the
again
of
to
all
unity
border
administration
It
almost
town,
River
alike.
the
has
Hotel.
of
established
town,
and
So
to
It
urban
isan
also
entertaining
install
that
A
far
all
amutual
This
large
access
therefore,
river”.
the
around
passes
center
athe
is
center
area
an
an
toofa
3/3