Bahri Negassi Dori Fegaga Yohannes

In the year 1520

Azentawievent

Bahri Negassi Dori Fegaga Yohannes ruled Medri Bahri, the central highlands of modern-day Eritrea up to the Red Sea coast, from his capital at Debarwa.

The Kingdom of Bahri Negassi as shown on a map of the Ottoman Empire The Kingdom of Bahri Negassi as shown on a map of the Ottoman Empire

Bahri Negassi Dori Fegaga Yohannes ruled the central highlands of Eritrea up to the coast lines. Tradition states he was the one that participated in the battle against invasion of Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi (also known as Ahmed Gurey or Gragn) from the eastern lowlands of then Abyssinia around the area of Harrar and western Somalia.

His capital was the town of Debarwa, in the central highlands of Eritrea.

Some claim his descendants stretch out from the highlands to the western lowlands in Barka including the peoples of Tigrinya and Beni Amer.

  • Every day we are making Eritrean history. Let’s tell them. Soon they may be forgotten.