Atsbi Wemberta () is one of the Districts of Ethiopia, or woredas, in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Located in the Misraqawi Zone at the eastern edge of the Ethiopian highlands, Atsbi Wenberta is bordered on the south by the Debub Misraqawi (Southeastern) Zone, on the west by Kilte Awulaelo, on the north by Saesi Tsaedaemba, and on the east by the Afar Region. The administrative center of this woreda is Atsbi (officially Atsbi Endaselassie Tigrigna: ኣጽቢ እንዳስላሴ); other towns in Atsbi Wenberta include Haiqi Mesahil, Atsbi Dar'a, Kelisha Emni and Habes. The woreda is administratively divided into 18 tabiyas (municipalities).
Overview
The elevation of this woreda varies from 918 to 3069 meters above sea level. Rivers in Atsi Wenberta are seasonal and flow only during the rainy season. There is no lake but there are small streams and ponds. The soil is seriously degraded, and there is hardly any forest or woodland, with the notable exception of north Tigray's largest forest on the Rift Valley shoulder and on the escarpment towards the Danakil depression: the Des'a forest. Irrigation is used in the few places where it is possible; the suitable sites are rare. On many slopes the soil is so highly eroded that even when rain falls, it can retain only a small amount of moisture. Nine of the 16 peasant associations in Atsbi Wenberta have an elevation of 2600 meters or higher, and are planted in barley, wheat, pulses like faba beans, and small ruminants like sheep are raised. The other seven peasant associations have an elevation below 2600 meters and are planted in teff, wheat, and barley, and both livestock and apiculture are cultivated; 6729 bee colonies are reported in this woreda. A major cash crop are faba beans, and Atsi Wenbarta is an important supplier of sheep and goats for meat to the nearby towns of Wukro, Adigrat, and the city of Mekelle.
History
Atsbi Wemberta was composed of four sub provinces mainly Dera, Atsbi, Dessia and Wemberta. There are Axumite and Pre Aksumite sites which return the Wereda's history back to antiquity. Habes, Era, Safir, Zerema, Keteba and Sekera were major Archaeological sites of the Wereda. Oral tradition indicate that Atsbi Wemberta was the birthplace of Queen Sophia, mother of Ezana and Sayzana. During the Aksumite Civilization several rock churches were built. Among them, the major architecturally fine churches are Mikael Debreselam, Mikael Amba, Zerema Georgis, Cherkos Agewo and Mikael Bark. There are also other dozens of ancient churches. In the dawn of 19th C, the town of Atsbi Endaselasie was established as a result of the church's foundation by Dejazimach Subagdis. Elders narrate that two Rases and 17 dejazmaches ruled Atsbi from the reign of Subagadis to the coming of Derg.
Historically, the district of Wemberta has been an integral part of Enderta province, when Enderta was an independent province as well as an awrajja as recent as the late 1990s.
Wemberta was occupied by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party (EPRP) in 1978. Local shifta (or brigands) are said to have joined the EPRP and robbed woreda inhabitants, using the political organization as a cover. They killed at least one man known as Hagos Tesfu. However, when the EPRP left, the shifta remained in the area. The Derg then organized the local people against these shifta, which resulted with one killed, one fleeing to the Afar Depression, and four being executed. In 1980, the Tigrayan People's Liberation Front took control of the area, which resulted in numerous military campaigns by the Derg; woreda inhabitants were arrested or killed by the military, their livestock were killed and married women raped.
Atsbi Wenberta was one of nine woredas in Tigray most affected by a drought during 2008, requiring emergency food supplies requested for an estimated 600,000 people.
In 2020, woreda Atsbi Wenberta became inoperative and its territory belongs to the following new woredas: Atsbi (new, smaller, woreda) Agula'i woreda (part of it) Sa'isi woreda Atsbi town
Culture
The culture and culinary of the woreda is heavily influenced by Enderta, Agame and Raya of the Tigrayans, and the Afars whereby it's the interface of the four local cultures. But, such culture is now declining because of youth migration and influence of other culture.
Dance
Any body who flew to Atsbi Wenberta, he/she definitely get astonished by the number of dancing styles available on the wereda like Hura-Seleste, Gumaye, Tegomtsets, Tilhit, etc. Among all here is the most exciting one and gained popularity in the neighboring woredas of Tigray and Afar regions, is Hura Seleste. They have songs related only to the Christmas.