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Harer
is an ancient walled city which stands on the
Eastern wall of the Great Rift Valley. Possessing as
many as 99 Mosques, Harar is considered to be the
fourth holy city of Islam with Mecca, medina and
Jerusalem. In Ethiopia as Axum was the window for
Christianity, Harar is the same for Islam.
The
wall of Harar is locally known as Jegol, The old
city cramped within its ancient walls, the new
extending freely. The walls are believed to have
commenced by Ibn al Wazir Mujahid Nur, a nephew of
Ahmed Gragn, who is said to have dug a defensive
trench around the town in 16th century.
Beside
the wall, the dominant features of the town are the
traditional Harari house; the childhood home of late
Emperor Haile Selassie; the exciting open market
that presents medley of people and culture; the
Rimbaud House named after the French poet who lived
there in 1880 and the hyena-feeding ritual - where,
after dark, the legendary Hyena Man feeds meat by
hand - and mouth - to the wild hyenas that haunt the
city's fringes. A half day excursion from Harar can
be made to Babile Valley of Marvels, situated about
30km from Harar, which is noted for amazing rock
formations.
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