Why visit Hagere Maryam
Townapedia lists 4 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include Bule Hora University.
Weather in Hagere Maryam
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Hagere Maryam
Bule Hora (Oromo: Bulee Horaa; Amharic: ሀገረ ማርያም) is a town in southern Oromia Region, Ethiopia. Located on the paved Addis Ababa-Moyale highway, in the West Guji Zone, it is the largest town in this zone mainly inhabited by the Guji Oromo. It has a latitude and longitude of 5°35′N 38°15′E and an altitude of 1716 meters above sea level.
From the Wikipedia article Bule Hora (town) (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Restaurants and cafes4
Where to stay4
Bule Hora International Hotel
Motel and hotel · 1.1 km
Hagere Maryam
24/7
Churches and places of worship2
History
An orthodox church dedicated to Mary (Mariam) was built in the early 1900. Bule Hora name changed Hagere Mariam and introduced by the Amhara sometimes before 1934. In 1936 Kenyazmach Tekle Giyorgis, a nephew of Ras Desta Damtew, was the chief of the town. It was occupied by the Italians on 22 July 1936, who renamed it "Alghe". They rebuilt the village and constructed a fort nearby; the Italians also bestowed honors and powers to a local Guji chief.
In the following decades, Bule Hora became isolated: a group of Swedish missionaries traveling to the Burji in March 1950 brought the first motorized vehicles seen in the town since the Italian occupation. A Norwegian Evangelical Mission was established at Hagere Mariam on 15 August of the same year, with the goal of reaching the Guji. Its founding leader was Karl Bogetvedt who worked from a little rented house inside the town, with dwelling, school and clinic in the same building. The mission station in Hagere Mariam continued into the 1980s.
Guji zone is known by Geda System, which is thought to be source of democracy.
From the History section of Bule Hora (town) on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Healthcare1
Map of Hagere Maryam
17 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Shakiso Airport (SKR) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 82 km away.
- Kercha 25 km northeast, about 25 min by car
- Kele 55 km northwest, about 55 min by car
- Yirga Ch’efē 59 km north, about 59 min by car
- Shakiso 76 km east, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Wenago 76 km north, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Yabēlo 85 km south, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Dīla 87 km north, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Kibre Mengist 87 km east, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Arba Minch 88 km northwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kid with a funky bike in Ethiopia, Max Chiswick, CC BY-SA 4.0
Page built November 4, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.