Harar
The fortified historic town of Harar is located in the eastern
part of the country on a plateau with deep gorges surrounded by deserts
and savannah. The walls surrounding this sacred Muslim city were built
between the 13th and 16th centuries. Harar Jugol, said to be the fourth
holiest city of Islam, numbers 82 mosques, three of which date from the
10th century, and 102 shrines, but the townhouses with their exceptional
interior design constitute the most spectacular part of Harar’s
cultural heritage. The impact of African and Islamic traditions on the
development of the town’s building types and urban layout make for its
particular character and uniqueness.
An incredible feature of Harar is the ‘Hyena Man’, who bravely feed
the erratic beasts by hand and mouth, each evening on the outskirt of
the city.
You can expect to see more than 10 Hyenas in one particular hyena
feeding ritual and if you are brave enough, you can try it yourself, few
fearless travelers do, and that is an adventure indeed!
So if you are up to for the adventure of a lifetime, nature devotee
and city types, Harar and Eastern Ethiopia as a whole is the place to
visit.
Hyena-feeding–
The Eastern part of the country is dry, hot, wild and Muslim. It
contains magnificent landscapes, cities cloaked with a flagrant
historical aura and mystery and a pervading sense of adventure. If one
place had to be singled out, it would be Harar, the gem of the place.
Before the nightfall and meet the Harar Hyenas, getting ecstatically
lost in Harar’s captivating history by wandering through the mesmerizing
alleyways along with the aroma of the best coffee in Ethiopia “actually
in the world” that winding through the streets, make it all worth the
visit. Let us start with the distinct architectural feature in Harar; it
is the fascinating traditional Harari (Adare) houses and it is a must
see.
Harar is the city that can be visited at any time of year and it is a
city many foreigners inhabit among them is the famous French poet
Arthur Rimbaud, who spent some of his last year in the city.
An incredible feature of Harar is the ‘Hyena Man’, who bravely feed
the erratic beasts by hand and mouth, each evening on the outskirt of
the city.
You can expect to see more than 10 Hyenas in one particular hyena
feeding ritual and if you are brave enough, you can try it yourself, few
fearless travelers do, and that is an adventure indeed!
So if you are up to for the adventure of a lifetime, nature devotee
and city types, Harar and Eastern Ethiopia as a whole is the place to
visit.