Municipality in Tigray Region, Ethiopia
Aregen is a "tabia" or municipality in the Dogu'a Tembien district of the Tigray Region of Ethiopia. The "tabia" centre is in Addi Gotet village, located approximately to the west-southwest of the "woreda" town Hagere Selam.
Geography.
The "tabia" occupies an elongated ridge between the gorges of Upper Tanqwa and Tsech'i Rivers. The highest peak is near Aregen village ( a.s.l.) and the lowest place at the confluence of the two rivers ( a.s.l.).
Geology.
From the higher to the lower locations, the following geological formations are present:
Geomorphology and soils.
The main geomorphic units, with corresponding soil types are:
Climate.
The rainfall pattern shows a very high seasonality with 70 to 80% of the annual rain falling in July and August. Mean temperature in Addi Gotet is 18 °C, oscillating between average daily minimum of 10 °C and maximum of 25.7 °C. The contrasts between day and night air temperatures are much larger than seasonal contrasts.
Springs.
As there are no permanent rivers, the presence of springs is of utmost importance for the local people. The main spring in the "tabia" is Gubarne in Kelkelay.
Reservoirs.
In this area with rains that last only for a couple of months per year, reservoirs of different sizes allow harvesting runoff from the rainy season for further use in the dry season. 
Settlements.
The "tabia" centre Addi Gotet holds a few administrative offices, a health post, a primary school, and some small shops. There are a few more primary schools across the "tabia". The main other populated places are:
Agriculture and livelihood.
The population lives essentially from crop farming, supplemented with off-season work in nearby towns. The land is dominated by farmlands which are clearly demarcated and are cropped every year. Hence the agricultural system is a permanent upland farming system. The farmers have adapted their cropping systems to the spatio-temporal variability in rainfall.
History and culture.
Caves and archaeological sites.
The Dabo Zellelew cave at the west of Aregen at a height of about 2000 metres, has been explored over 14.4 m but its distance is claimed to be way longer (). It contains lithic tools, potsherds, engravings and paintings of Pastoral Neolithic age.
The Mihdar Ab’ur cave in the village of Mahba at a height of about 2500 metres, is some 64 m long (). It contains engravings and paintings of Pastoral Neolithic age.
History.
The history of the "tabia" is strongly confounded with the history of Tembien.
Religion and churches.
Most inhabitants are Orthodox Christians. The following churches are located in the "tabia":
"Inda Siwa", the local beer houses.
In the main villages, there are traditional beer houses ("Inda Siwa"), often in unique settings, which are a good place for resting and chatting with the local people. Most renown in the "tabia" are
Roads and communication.
The main road Mekelle – Hagere Selam – Abiy Addi runs just east of the "tabia". In Maygua there are regular bus services to these towns. Further, a rural access road links Addi Gotet to the main asphalt road.
Tourism.
Its mountainous nature and proximity to Mekelle makes the "tabia" fit for tourism.
Geotouristic sites.
The high variability of geological formations and the rugged topography invites for geological and geographic tourism or "geotourism". Geosites in the "tabia" include:
Trekking routes.
Trekking routes have been established in this "tabia". The tracks are not marked on the ground but can be followed using downloaded .GPX files.
Accommodation and facilities.
The facilities are very basic. One may be invited to spend the night in a rural homestead or ask permission to pitch a tent. Hotels are available in Hagere Selam and Mekelle.
References.
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