Zula | |
|---|---|
  Zula Location in Eritrea | |
| Coordinates:15°15′N39°40′E / 15.250°N 39.667°E /15.250; 39.667 | |
| Country |  Eritrea |
| Region | Northern Red Sea |
Zula is a small town in centralEritrea. It is situated near the head of Annesley Bay (also known as theGulf of Zula), on theRed Sea coast. Four kilometers away is the archeological site ofAdulis, which was anemporium and theport ofAxum.
The Eritrean Research Project Team composed ofEritrean,Canadian,American,Dutch andFrench scientists discovered a Paleolithic site with stone and obsidian tools dated to over 125,000 years old south ofMassawa, along the Red Sea littoral. The tools are believed to have been used by early humans to harvest marine resources likeclams andoysters.[1]
The localSaho call this place "Ado Lay", meaning "clear water", however this is probably in reference to the nearby site ofAdulis, just situated 4 kilometers away from the town.[2]
In 1857, an agreement was entered into by theDejazmach ofTigray, in revolt againstEmperorTewodros II of Ethiopia, to cede Zula to theFrench. Agew Niguse was defeated by Emperor Tewodros, and the commander of a French cruiser sent to Annesley Bay in 1859 found the country in a state of anarchy. No further steps were taken by France to assert its sovereignty, and Zula with the neighbouring coast passed, nominally, toEgypt in 1866. Zula was the place whereRobert Napier'sBritish expedition of 1867 – 1868 against Tewodros disembarked, Annesley Bay affording safe and ample anchorage for the largest ocean-going vessels. A road was built by theBritish from Zula toSenafe in theEritrean Highlands.
The authority of Egypt having lapsed over Zula, anItalianprotectorate was proclaimed in 1888, and in 1890 the town was incorporated into the colony ofEritrea.[3] Along withAfta andIrafalo, it remains an important trade center for theSaho people.[4]
Zula is a village on the Red Sea in central Eritrea.[4] It stands on the right bank of theAligede River, on a narrow coastal plain on the west side of the Gulf of Zula, some 80 km (50 mi) to the east ofAsmara.[5] The coast here is lined with mangroves, and there is an aircraft landing strip 5 km (3 mi) to the north.[6]
The original port of Adulis is now 4 km (2.5 mi) inland, debris washed down from the mountains having accumulated along the coastline, extending it further out to sea.[7] Napier built limited port facilities at Zula to enable his expedition; the remains of the railway tracks, laid by Napier's Expedition to haul his heavy equipment ashore, can still be seen.[7][8] However, modern port services are handled at Massawa.[4]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Zula".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 1049.