A Historical Account of Holata Town from Its Foundation to 2018

Abstract The thesis tries to reconstruct the social, economic, administrative, religious, institutional, population history, urbanization policy and its targeting areas of Holata Town focusing from its foundation to the present. In this work, the source materials used for the research are gathered from extensive oral interviews conducted with contemporary and knowledgeable informants, the archives of the IES, national Archival center, government reports or socio economic profiles, news papers, media information, thesis, and generally published or un-published works. The examination, verification and qualitative analysis of the sources have proved the central objective of this thesis. So that, the importance of this account includes the general over view of Holata town and show its history as well as its current reflection was the careful attempt to look in to the similarity and unique historical feature of this town in to Ethiopian Tow’s through basing from urban history. By saying this, it is important to identify that, Holata grew from a form of village or cluster site and Irrecha celebration place and then develop in to small town later in the course of History, it became the center of imperial palace during Menelik II and subsequently Holata emerged as a town followed its formation as imperial city since 1894 and its name was changed in to ‘Holeta Gennet’ or ‘Genet’ by Taytu Bitul, meaning equivalent to garden of Eden or paradise. Then after about fifty years, in 1948, Holata was officially given the status of a town. In 1969, it was clustered in to three kebeles and later increased in to eight kebeles in the FDRE government. In this study the central idea what almost all of My informants agreed on is that, Holata is a former place where people used to live as small communal settlement and came together to offer blessings and forward to each other the new year wishes by giving and taking olive green grass by saying ‘Hoo-Lataa’ meaning take it olive green grass, which had been seen as a symbol of magnificent and prosperity. Then later it became the political center of MenelikII and later government. Then after, Holata grew from Mono ethnic group to Multy ethnic group and Linguistic groups. Through time, it became the home of various institutions and investment area. It was the area where many Ethiopian patriots trained and formed Black Lion, as well as sacrificed their irredeemable soul for our county in defending Italy. More over, there were many patriots who Honored and revered in Ethiopian History as National Heroes around this area due to heroically defended Ethiopia and laid their precious life. To day, this town has received a remarkable attention from Oromia Region and consequently became one of the major town included in urban reform program and administered by the special zone of Oromia surrounding Finfinne. Due to its topographic location, land scape, air suitability, closeness to capital city, the town is able to attract investors and all making Holata preferable for all. In order to make a reality a town with natural beauty and comfort in ever sort, the town administration is working in line with Master plan of the town in preparing land for the construction. Above all, the ever green land found with in Holata and other reasons makes the town suitable for human being. Currently, Holata showing a faster growing area comparing to other towns surrounding Finfinne.