Mentewab was a queen in Ethiopia.
She lived a long time ago. She helped lead her people. She even built a big castle.
She was a very strong leader. Do you like stories about queens?
Mentewab was a queen in Ethiopia.
She lived a long time ago. She was a very strong leader.
Her husband was an emperor. He became very sick. Mentewab helped lead the land.
She even ruled for her son.
Mentewab built many things. She built a big castle. She also built a church.
She lived in a place called Gondar. She liked her palace near the mountains.
Later, there was much fighting. Mentewab was very sad. She stayed in her home until she died.
Mentewab was a powerful queen in Ethiopia.
She was born in a place called Qwara. She married Emperor Bakaffa in 1722. Later, her husband became very sick. He could not rule the land. Mentewab began to lead the kingdom. In 1730, her son Iyasu II became emperor. Mentewab was crowned to help him rule. She held a lot of power during his time.
Mentewab was also a builder.
She built a castle in the city of Gondar. She also built a large hall for feasts. Her most special building was a church. It was for the Virgin Mary. She built a palace next to this church. This was her favorite place to live.
After her son died, there was a fight for power. Mentewab argued with Wubit, the widow of her son. Both women brought many soldiers to help them. Mentewab asked a man named Mikael Sehul to help. He was meant to stop the fighting. Instead, Mikael Sehul took power for himself. He caused the death of Mentewab's grandson. Mentewab was very sad. She moved back to her palace in the mountains. She stayed there until she died in 1773.
Mentewab was a very important leader in Ethiopia.
She lived during the 1700s and held great power. She was the wife of Emperor Bakaffa. Later, she was the mother and grandmother of leaders. Mentewab was also known by her baptismal name, Walatta Giyorgis. People even gave her a special title called Berhan Mogassa. This title was meant to match her son's title. She was a central figure in the history of her country.
Mentewab helped lead the kingdom in several ways. In 1728, Emperor Bakaffa became very ill. He could no longer rule the people. Mentewab began to act as the unofficial ruler. When her son, Iyasu II, became emperor in 1730, she was crowned co-ruler. This gave her unprecedented power over the government. She managed important tasks for many years. She was a strong guide for her son and grandson.
She was also a famous builder in the city of Gondar.
Mentewab built her own castle in the Royal Enclosure. She also built a large hall for banquets. Her most important project was a church for the Virgin Mary. This church was at a place called Qusquam. It was located in the mountains outside of Gondar. She even built a palace right next to this church. This palace became her favorite place to live.
Mentewab had a large and busy family. She was the daughter of Manbare and Woizero Yenkoy. She married Emperor Bakaffa on September 6, 1722. She had a son named Iyasu II with him. Later, she had three daughters with a man named Melmal Iyasu. One daughter was named Aster Iyasu. Aster married a powerful man named Ras Mikael Sehul. These family ties helped shape the politics of the time.
Later in her life, Mentewab faced a hard time. After her son died in 1755, a dispute began. She argued with Wubit, who was the widow of her son. They both called for soldiers to help them. Mentewab asked Mikael Sehul to help stop the fighting. However, Mikael Sehul took power for himself. He caused the death of her grandson, Iyoas I. Mentewab was very sad by this event. She moved to her palace at Qusquam and stayed there until she died on June 27, 1773.
Mentewab was a powerful Empress of Ethiopia during the 18th century.
Born around 1706 in Qwara province, she became a central figure in the Ethiopian government. She was the daughter of Dejazmach Manbare and Woizero Yenkoy. Mentewab married Emperor Bakaffa on September 6, 1722. This marriage made her the second wife of the Emperor. She later became a mother and a grandmother to several leaders. Her official baptismal name was Walatta Giyorgis. She also held the honorific title Berhan Mogassa. This title was chosen to complement the title Berhan Seged held by her son, Iyasu II.
Mentewab's rise to political power began due to a health crisis. In 1728, Emperor Bakaffa developed a severe illness. This illness left him unable to govern the empire. During this time, Mentewab acted as the unofficial ruler. When her son, Iyasu II, succeeded to the throne in 1730, she was crowned co-ruler. This position gave her unprecedented power over the government. She held this influence throughout her son's reign. She was a descendant of emperors who ruled two centuries earlier. Her leadership helped guide the kingdom through many years of transition.
As a leader, Mentewab was also a significant builder in Gondar.
She constructed several important structures within the city. These included her own castle located in the Royal Enclosure. She also built a large banqueting hall for official events. Her most notable project was a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. This church was built at Qusquam in the mountains outside of Gondar. The name Qusquam refers to a site in Egypt where the Holy Family stayed. Mentewab also built a palace adjoining this church. This palace became her favored place of residence.
Mentewab's personal life and family connections were deeply tied to politics. After the death of Emperor Bakaffa, she had a relationship with his nephew. This man was known as Melmal Iyasu. He was a Solomonic Prince of high status. He was the grandson of Emperor Fasilides and the son of Emperor Iyasu (Adyam Seged). Together, Mentewab and Melmal Iyasu had three daughters. These daughters were Altash, Walatta Israel, and Aster Iyasu. Aster Iyasu became a very famous figure through her marriage. She married the powerful Tigrean warlord Ras Mikael Sehul.
Political conflict arose after the death of Mentewab's son in 1755. A dispute began between Mentewab and Wubit, the widow of Iyasu II. Wubit was the mother of the new Emperor, Iyoas I. Wubit believed it was her turn to preside at the court. Mentewab attempted to maintain her influence over the government. This disagreement led to a buildup of military forces. Mentewab summoned her relatives from Qwara to support her. Wubit responded by summoning her Oromo relatives and their large forces to Gondar.
To prevent a violent conflict, Mentewab called for a mediator. She summoned the powerful Mikael Sehul to resolve the dispute. Upon his arrival in Gondar, he was given the title of Ras. Mentewab hoped he would support her side of the argument. Instead, Ras Mikael Sehul seized power for himself. He eventually engineered the death of Emperor Iyoas I by strangulation. Following this event, Mikael Sehul married the aunt of his victim. This period marked a major shift in how power was held in the empire.
The death of her grandson had a profound effect on Mentewab. She was deeply distraught by the loss of Iyoas I. She chose to retreat from the city of Gondar entirely. Mentewab went to Qusquam to bury her grandson next to her son. She spent the remainder of her life in seclusion at her palace. She lived there until her death on June 27, 1773. Her life remains a significant example of female leadership and political influence in Ethiopian history.
Where will your curiosity go next?
🖼️ Images & Media (2)
More to explore
✨ What else?
Related topics you might enjoy
🔬 Go deeper
More advanced topics to explore
What is Nepedia?
A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.