Historicizing Urbanism: The socio- economic and cultural pattern of the city of Gondar, Ethiopia

Abstract

The establishment of Gondar in the 17th century marked a very promising chapter in the history of the
Ethiopian urbanization. This research aimed at exploring the meaning of urban space, the change of
meaning through time and effects of displacement on the social bonds. In doing so, qualitative method
(document analysis, interview, observation, photo voices) were used for thematic analysis. Various social
institutions such as religion, market, monarchy, and long-distance trade promoted the Gondarian
urban development. All the three Abrahamic religions, namely, Christian, Islam, and Judaism were
developed in urban Gondar. Although these religions meant to divide the communities, the Gondarian
Markets served to unite and glue the believers of these religions together. However, the residential
places were segregated on the basis of religions, leading to sprawling. The sprawling was ensued by
unplanned urban expansion, triggering developmental imbalances across the city. The corrective remedy
of redevelopment injected by the municipality also caused slums of despair. Despite these shortcomings,
urbanization marshalled with holistic goals of making Gondar one of the icons of the Ethiopian
centers of religion and culture tinorder to promote and maintain national unity.