Bahir Dar (Amharic: ባሕር ዳር, “sea shore”) is the capital of Ethiopia’s Amhara Region and is administered as a special zone, ranking alongside the region’s rural zones rather than sitting inside one. The city stands where the Abay (Blue Nile) leaves Lake Tana, at 1,820 metres and about 578 kilometres north-north-west of Addis Ababa. The 2007 census counted 221,991 people in the special zone, of whom 155,428 lived in the city proper; the Ethiopian Statistics Service projects 455,901 for 2022.
The special zone covers the city administration and the rural kebeles immediately around it. The surrounding farmland is a separate woreda, Bahir Dar Zuria, which belongs to West Gojjam.
| Status | City special zone, Amhara regional capital |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 11 36 N, 37 23 E |
| Elevation | 1,820 m |
| City area | 213.44 km2 |
| Population (2007 census) | 221,991 special zone; 155,428 city |
| Population (2022 projection) | 455,901 |
| Distance from Addis Ababa | about 578 km |
Areas & Surrounds
The city runs along the southern shore of Lake Tana. Its spine is the palm-lined avenue from the lakeshore hotels and the Saint George church up towards the market and the bus station, with the administrative offices and the regional government buildings on the parallel streets inland.
- Bezawit, the ridge south of the centre, holds the former imperial palace of Haile Selassie and the viewpoint over the Abay outflow.
- Bahir Dar University occupies two main campuses, the Poly campus on the eastern side and the Peda campus near the lakeshore.
- The lakefront strip carries most of the hotels, the boat jetties for the monastery trips, and the fish landings.
- Three Wayto villages sit inside the city boundary, built in clay with thatched roofs; the Wayto were traditionally hippo hunters and papyrus boat makers on the lake.
- Rural kebeles around the built-up area, still farmed, made up just under 19 per cent of the special zone’s population at the 2007 census.
- Meshenti, about 10 kilometres south on the Addis Ababa road, and Zege, the forested monastery peninsula across the bay, are the nearest satellite settlements.
Landmarks & Institutions
Lake Tana is the reason the city exists and the centre of its economy. The lake and its wetlands have been a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2015. Island and peninsula monasteries, several dating from the fourteenth century, are reached by boat in an hour or less: Ura Kidane Mehret and Azwa Maryam on the Zege peninsula, and Debre Maryam on the island at the river outflow. About 30 kilometres downstream the Abay drops over the Tis Issat falls, the Blue Nile Falls, in Tis Abay in Bahir Dar Zuria woreda.
Bahir Dar University is one of the largest in Ethiopia, formed in 1999 from the polytechnic institute and the teachers’ college that had operated in the city since the 1960s. The city also holds the Felege Hiwot referral hospital and the regional government seat. In 2002 Bahir Dar received the UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize for its handling of rapid urban growth.
Population
The 2007 census recorded 221,991 people in the special zone, 108,456 male and 113,535 female. Of those, 180,174 or 81.16 per cent were urban and the rest lived in rural kebeles around the city. The city proper had grown from 54,800 in 1984 and 96,140 in 1994 to 155,428 in 2007, and was estimated at 365,957 in 2023.
Between 2007 and 2023 the city grew by about 5.31 per cent a year and the special zone by 4.75 per cent, among the fastest rates in Ethiopia. The Amhara were 96.23 per cent of the population at the last census, Tigrayans 1.11 per cent and Oromo 1.10 per cent; Amharic was the first language of 96.77 per cent. The 2022 projection of 455,901 is an estimate, not a count.
Getting Around
Bahir Dar Dejazmach Belay Zeleke Airport lies on the north-eastern edge of the city, with up to ten flights a day to Addis Ababa and connections to Gondar and Lalibela; the runway was extended to take international and freight traffic. By road the city is about 578 kilometres from Addis Ababa on the highway through Debre Markos and Finote Selam, and about 180 kilometres from Gondar. Long-distance buses run daily from Addis Ababa.
Inside the city, bicycles are the common way to move, and the flat lakeside grid suits them. Auto rickshaws and share taxis cover the rest. Boats leave the lakeshore jetties for the monasteries and for Gorgora at the northern end of Lake Tana.
Travel in the Amhara Region has been disrupted since 2023 by fighting between federal forces and Fano militias, with routes into Bahir Dar affected at times. Check current conditions before travelling.
FAQ
Where is Bahir Dar?
On the southern shore of Lake Tana in north-west Ethiopia, where the Abay (Blue Nile) leaves the lake, about 578 kilometres from Addis Ababa.
What is the population of Bahir Dar?
221,991 in the special zone at the 2007 census, with 455,901 projected for 2022. The city proper was estimated at 365,957 in 2023.
Why is Bahir Dar a special zone?
As the Amhara regional capital it is administered directly at zone level rather than as a town inside a rural zone. Its farmland neighbour, Bahir Dar Zuria woreda, belongs to West Gojjam.
What is Bahir Dar known for?
Lake Tana and its island monasteries, the Blue Nile Falls at Tis Abay, Bahir Dar University, and the palm-lined lakeshore avenues that won the city the UNESCO Cities for Peace Prize in 2002.
Does Bahir Dar have an airport?
Yes. Bahir Dar Dejazmach Belay Zeleke Airport serves the city with frequent daily flights to Addis Ababa.
How far is Bahir Dar from Gondar?
About 180 kilometres by road along the western side of Lake Tana, roughly three hours.