Daily Times

Harar is the centre of Islam in Ethiopia and is considered as the fourth holiest city for Muslims in the world. The markets and narrow streets of this city are always crowded.

The town of Harar is said to have been founded by Arab immigrants somewhere between the 10th and 13th Century.

The oldest part of this city can be accessed through five major gates. It’s also the provincial capital and most of the Oromo is inhabited.

There are more than 82 small mosques and more than 100 tombs in this city. The Jami Masjid is the largest and the main mosque. A one third of the population consists of Muslims in Ethiopia but Muslims are in majority in this city.

The Jami mosque is the only mosque, where women are also allowed to pray as well as men. A small door is placed on the right side of the mosque for women. But women are also praying in the courtyard or outside boundaries of the mosque.

Two churches are also located inside the ancient city walls.

Medhane Alem Cathedral is the only Orthodox Church here. The inhabitants of Harar are proud of religious harmony here. But during the recent period there have emerged some problems regarding land ownership. In 2003, the city received the United Nations Educational Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Peace Prize for the peaceful cohabitation of many ethnic and religious groups. In recent years, however, there has been some tension around land issues and political representation.

There are more than 82 small mosques and more than a 100 tombs in this city. The Jami Masjid is the largest and the main mosque. A one third of the population consists of Muslims in Ethiopia but Muslims are in majority in this city

This city, with more than one million and more population, makes its mystical teachings unique.

One of the holiest places in the city is the tomb of Sheikh Abadir, one of the city’s founder. Here people sit and chew the narcotic leaf khat for several hours.

Khat leaves in the beginning were only used for spiritual purposes but now it is used throughout Ethiopia. The region around Harar remains the centre of its use and trade. It represents around 70 percent of the region’s agricultural income and is chewed by the majority of men and a good number of women. The leaf reduces tiredness and appetite. When chewed on a regular basis, it is highly addictive.

Harar’s economy is also connected to the textile industry. The main market here is known as “Makinagirgir” This name has been given here because of sewing machines placed and the sound of sewing machines. People buy clothes from here and given to the tailors sitting here for sewing. It is often packed with women from the rural areas.

In the morning the crowds begin to grow crowded. Oromo people from surrounding areas come to the city to sell their goods.

These people still travel through donkey for several hours. The smugglers market, Muslim market, the fresh food market, spice market are most famous. Harar lives through these small-scale economies.

The famous market of camels 40 kilometres from Harar is located. It takes twice a week. More than two hundred camels are sold only in one morning. The traders are usually Somali nomads. Camels are used for travel and food.

Harar has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006.

Harar is a walled city in eastern Ethiopia. It is the capital of east Hararghe and the capital of the Harari Region of Ethiopia. The city is located on a hilltop in the eastern extension of the Oromia, about 500km from the national capital Addis Ababa at an elevation of 1,885 metres. Based on figures from the Central Statistical Agency in 2005, Harar had an estimated total population of 122,000, of whom 60,000 were males and 62,000 were females.

According to the census of 1994, on which this estimate is based, the city had a population of 76,378.

For centuries, Harar has been a major commercial centre, linked by the trade routes with the rest of Ethiopia, the entire Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and, through its ports, the outside world. Harar Jugol, the old walled city, was listed as a World Heritage Site in 2006 by UNESCO in recognition of its cultural heritage.

It’s sometimes known in Arabic as “the City of Saints”. According to UNESCO, it is “considered ‘the fourth holy city’ of Islam” with 82 mosques, three of which date from the 10th century, and 102 shrines.

The Fath Madinat Harar records that the cleric Abadir Umar ar-Rida and several other religious leaders settled in Harar circa 1216. Harar was later made the new capital of the Adal Sultanate in 1520 by the Somali Sultan Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad.

The city saw a political decline during the ensuing Emirate of Harar, only regaining some significance in the Khedivate of Egypt period. During the Ethiopian Empire, the city decayed while maintaining a certain cultural prestige. Today, it is the seat of the Harari Region.

The writer is a freelancer and a graduate of Punjab University. He works at the Federal Board of Revenue and be reached at canwal.22@gmail.com