Harar 1850m

Today we flew from Addis to Dire Dawa and then drove the 50 km to Harar

Harar old town is World Heritage listed. It is a walled city with some 350 alleyways squeezed in to 1 sq km. It's origins are unknown, but evidence suggests it was founded in the 10th century by Arabian immigrants. It flourished as a trade centre, and then was a centre of Islamic scholarship. It is an oft repeated statement that it is the fourth holiest city in Islam.

We stayed at the Wonderland hotel..

...nearby this central sculpture proclaiming its history asa centre of learning. 

We spent a whole day exploring the city. Firstly, the smugglers market, where goods from all over the region find their way to be sold at favourable prices

Here we encountered lots of local ladies carrying goods on their heads, something not common in other parts of Ethiopia.

Then the recycling market

Then the spice market

All the above were just outside the old city. We entered the old city through the main gate..

..and wandered the alleyways

We visited a typical harari (or adare house)

We passed through the main square, Feres Magala..

...and went off to lunch by bajaj, locally known as the blue virus as they are everywhere.

We ate at the Ras Hotel, going for a local specialty, goat mendi

The afternoon started with a drive along the outside of the old city walls..

..to a viewpoint and the khat and vegetable market. 

Karen wanted to try khat, the local coca leaf equivalent....

...and she got more than enough for 2 dollars

The locals were very amused of course

The vegetable market was quite "laid back"

Back into the old city, we meandered some more, snapping away..

...and sampling the street food

We visited Haile Selassie's honeymoon house...

...now a private museum. Some impressive daggers..

..a certificate received by a student for learning the koran...

...and some local paintings

The local kids were happy to pose

We also visited the Arthur Rimbaud Centre, a building dedicated to the poet and photographer. The building itself was worth the visit

We passed working blacksmiths...

..colourful mosques and houses...

..street vendors..

...a henna shop

...Harar's main mosque, Jamia mosque...

...a madrassa..

...some colourful ladies...

...and exited the Buda gate where a separate colourful market was in progress

In the evening it was back to see the famed wild hyena feeding. Impressive to say the least.