Mek'elē

Mekelle, or Mekele, is a special zone and capital of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Mekelle was formerly the capital of Enderta awraja in Tigray. It is located around 780 kilometres north of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, with an elevation of 2,254 metres above sea level. Administratively, Mekelle is considered a Special Zone, which is divided into seven sub-cities. It is the economic, cultural, and political hub of northern Ethiopia.

Mekelle has grown rapidly since 1991 with a population of 61,000 in 1984, 97,000 inhabitants in 1994, and 170,000 in 2006. Mekelle is the second-largest city in Ethiopia after Addis Ababa, with a population of around 545,000. It is 4 times larger than Adigrat, the second-largest regional center.