Harar
Harar is found on the high edge of Eastern
Ethiopian escarpment. It is also found in the east of Addis Ababa, 525
kilometers by far from it.
Harar is one of the oldest and historic cities
in Ethiopia. Harar is considered the fourth most sacred center of the
Islamic world. Established in 1520 by a local chief, Sultan Abubaker Muhammed,
Harar shortly after wards captured by the fanatical Muslim leader, Ahmed
Gragn, who used it as a head quarters from which to launch his devastating
jihad against the Christian Ethiopian kingdom to the west.
There is plenty
to see in the old city, a defensive wall which remains to this day one
of its most distinctive features. The Harari live almost entirely with
in the walls that have encircled this city for more than three hundred
years, maintaining their own language, customs and crafts.
The wall is
four meters high by one meter thick, irregular in shape, has five large
gates. The wall protected the citizen against the attack from the neighboring
population which would other wise have almost certainly over return the
town.
The five gates are known by the Harari language as Bari were each
used by caravans traveling to and from a different areas and each had
specific name. The chief building with in the walls was the great mosque,
known as Al-Jami. Besides this mosque, there are many smaller ones. The
Amir’s palace much more interesting, a two story structure, with a reception
hall in which the chief received his visitors.
The city was renowned for
its handicrafts like basket work and for the skill of its sliver smiths
who design beautiful necklaces; silver chains, bangles and ear rings out
of the precious metals. Harar is also known for its sash tobes or togas
work. The book binders of Harar were like wise so accomplished.
Harar,
for so great center of commerce, in the 1870s attracted the expansionist
ambition of Egypt, which was then ruled by khedive Ismail. Another attraction
is the city’s hyena men who make their living by collecting offal and
bones which they feed to the wild hyenas around the city.