Exploring the morphogenesis of Ethiopian cities: a comparative analysis of the urban forms of Dire Dawa city with its central and northern Ethiopian counterparts

Figures & data

Figure 1. Plan of the camp of Dejach Goshu, dignitary of Gojam.

Source: (Griaule, 1934)

Figure 2. Plan of Emperor Minilik the II sefer during Adwa expedition, 1986.

Source: produced based on Gu`ebr`e Sellassi´e, 1932, Atlas, sited in Antonsich, M. 2000

Figure 3. Spatial structure of Addis Ababa in 1897.

Source (Alem, 2016)

Figure 4. Traditional Space organization of Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC).

Figure 5. Location Map of the study sites Kezira and Megala in Dire Dawa.

Source: Dire Dawa city administration

Figure 6. Picture of Dire Dawa Palace, Gibi (left), and St. Mikael Church (right).

Source: https://www.ebay.com/itm/351905100701 and www.deicampe.net respectively

Table 1. List of characteristics of urban form traits and their results from context of Dire Dawa.

Conzonian Urban form elements	Characteristics of the Northern and Central Ethiopian indigenous Urban Form Tradition	Megala	Kezira
Land use pattern	Similarity in land use amongst the colonies deferring in hierarchy which gradually transformed	No hierarchical structure but similarity in land use pattern	No hierarchical structure and has varied land use zoning
Street Pattern	Circular street pattern – organic in nature	Dominantly organic and not circular pattern	Radial and gridiron pattern
Buildings and settlement pattern	Clustered colony of settlements at macro level	No	No
	Buildings clustered in colony at micro level	Developed haphazardly but latter form a courtyard type of contagious buildings	Buildings are organized with in the planned blocks in villa type
	Church and palace (gibi) at central pivotal point	No church and gibi	There is palace and church next to each other
	Churches and palace (gibi) took the higher ground	No	Yes

Figure 7. Land use of Kezira (left), Street pattern system of the same area (right).

Source: authors own compilation based on the plan developed in 1902 obtained from the city administration planning department

Figure 8. Block arrangement of Kezira (left), and building organization of the same area (right).

Source: authors own compilation based on the plan developed in 1902 obtained from the city administration planning department

Figure 9. Partial ariel view of Kezira, Commercial and Service areas (left) and Residential areas (right).

Source: Dire Dawa Culture and Tourism Bureau

Figure 10. Land use of Megala (left), Street pattern system of the same area (right).

Source: reconstructed based on the plan developed in 1936 and images taken from airplanes during 1920s obtained from the city administration planning department

Figure 11. Block arrangement of Megala (left), and building organization of the same area.

Source: reconstructed based on the plan developed in 1936 and images taken from airplanes during 1920s obtained from the city administration planning department

Figure 12. Partial ariel view of Megala.

Source: Dire Dawa Culture and Tourism Bureau

Griaule, M. (1934). Un camp militaire abyssin. Journal Des Africanistes, 4(1), 117–122. https://doi.org/10.3406/jafr.1934.1569

 Google Scholar

Antonsich, M. (2000). Signs of power: Fascist urban iconographies in Ethiopia (1930s–1940s). GeoJournal, 52(4), 325–338. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014397002570

 Google Scholar

Alem, G. (2016). Persisting meaning and evolving spaces. In Felix H. & Bisrat K. W. (Eds.) Lessons of informality: Architecture and urban planning for emerging Territories. Concepts from Ethiopia (pp. 93–107). Birkhäuser. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783035606706-008

 Google Scholar