| Ethiopia Travel & Tour Information
Harar
– Window on the past
Harar
is a walled city which stands on the eastern wall of the Great
Rift Valley and is the provincial capital of
Ethiopia
's largest administrative region, Hararge. The city's location
gives wonderful views of the surrounding country - the vast
Danakil desert to the north, the fertile
Harar
Mountains
to the west, and the cattle rich Ogaden plains to the south.
Harar
was a fiercely religious city and was a forbidden city (closed to
visitors), until 1887 when Menelik restored central rule. With its
999 mosques, including the 16th century Grand Mosque with is
beautiful twin towers and slender minaret, it is considered to be
the fourth most holy city in Islam after
Mecca
,
Medina
and the Dome of the Rock in
Jerusalem
.
Harar
also was, and still is, well known for its handicrafts, including
weaving basket-making and bookbinding.
Harar
is also famous for its “Hyena Men” where individuals collect
offal and bones to feed to the wild hyenas usually about 100
metres outside the Fallana Gate of the old city walls of the town.
Harar
was established by Sultan Abu Beker Mohammed in 1520. Harar, the
Holy
City
of
Ethiopia
's Muslim community, is believed to be the forth-holiest city
after
Mecca
,
Medina
and
Jerusalem
. The old City Wall of Harar is the main attraction and symbol of
Islamic architecture. Harar has approximately 90 mosques, which
form the largest concentration of mosques in the world. One of
Harar's main attractions is the hyena man who feeds hyenas on the
outskirts of the town every night.
Harar
is known for its turmoil and bloodshed. Ahmed Gragn killed Abu
Beker Mohammed who was the ruler of Harar. Ahmed Gragn was a
militant Muslim leader and used Harar as his base to launch his
jihad and raids against the Ethiopian Christian Empire in 1528. He
destroyed many churches and threatened the complete distruction of
Ethiopian Christendom. He was killed by Emperor Gelawdewos in a
Battle
near
Lake Tana
in 1543. The raids continued against the Christians led by Ahmed
Gragn's widow Bati Del Wambara. In 1559, Emperor Gelawdewos
marched on Harar with the aim to eradicate the constant religious
sectarianism taking place. Gelawdewos was killed in a battle and
his head was paraded around the city on a stake.
In
1647, Emir Ali ibn Daud took control the city and established an
autonomous administration. Despite the continuous fighting with
Oromo tribes, Harar expanded; it became well populated, an
important city for trade and a centre of Muslim scholarship. It
issued its own currency. After 250 years of autonomous rule,
Egypt
occupied Harar and killed the Emir in 1875. The Egyptian action
created a strong resistance in the Muslim community of Harar. Emir
Abdullah took control and led a campaign against the Egyptians,
which ended in 1885.
In
1887, Harar lost its autonomy when Menelik, Prince of Shewa, who
later became Emperor of Ethiopia in 1889, waged war against the
army of Emir Abdullah. Menelik defeated the Emir at the Battle of
Chelenko in 1887. Menelik then established a new administration,
including several members of the emir's family to prevent renewed
religious sectarianism, headed by Ras Mekonnen, the father of
Emperor Haile Selassie.
Harar
then began to disintegrate and lost its status as a trade centre
in the end of nineteenth century when the railway line was built
between
Addis Ababa
and
Djibouti
through Dire Dawa. From 1902, Dire Dawa became the main commercial
centre of
Ethiopia
.
However,
Harar remained as the spiritual City of Ethiopia's Muslim
community, the political capital of
Hararge
Province
until 1994 and has become a federal city-state since 1995.
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