Hidmo

The hidmo (Tigrinya, also written hïdmo) is the traditional house of the northern Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands. It has thick masonry walls of stone and mud, a timber ceiling held up by interior posts, and a flat roof made of soil. It is found in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia and in Eritrea's highlands and parts of the eastern escarpment.

Roof construction

Beams rest on the walls and on large timber posts inside the house; the number of posts depends on the size of the house. The beams are covered with rods and branches, and soil is spread over them to form the roof. Building such a roof consumes a great deal of timber, so gathering wood is one of the largest tasks in constructing a hidmo. In Ïnderta in south-eastern Tigray, where stone was easy to obtain but wood scarce, a house that used more wood carried more prestige.

Performance

Thick walls, ceiling and roof, together with few openings, keep the indoor environment stable.

Plan and spaces

A hidmo is organised around a main room (midri-biet) for living, eating and sleeping, with built-in stone-and-mud beds, benches and shelves. Other spaces include an entrance porch (gebela), a women's kitchen area (wushate) and a roofed animal shelter (dembe). In Eritrea the house is usually built by the owner with unpaid help from neighbours, who are thanked with a party.

Research

A 2019 study by Shimizu, Ephrem Telele, Alula Tesfay and Miyake in Nilo-Ethiopian Studies documented the parcel layout, spatial components and building elements of the hidmo in Ïnderta and discussed the hierarchy of its spaces.

Today

Hidmo houses remain a recognised part of Tigray's and Eritrea's architectural heritage, and a Tigray tourism website promotes surviving examples in Mekelle. For the spread of corrugated iron in the region, see Roofing in Ethiopia.