Altitude: 1,220 m. Population: 445,000. Distance from Addis Ababa: 515 km. After just over a century in existence, Diré Dawa is now Ethiopia's third most populous city after Addis Ababa, just behind Mekele, which has also seen its population soar. The population has exploded from 150,000 to 650,000 in twenty years! An excursion to Diré Dawa and the surrounding area reveals the surprising contrasts between highlands, plains and desert. The city owes its origins to the railroad project which, at the beginning of the 20th century, linked the Red Sea port of Djibouti to Addis Ababa, after engineers had decided to avoid Harar due to topographical difficulties. Starting out from the French enclave, the railroad reached the "new Harar" in 1902, as it was then dubbed, and the town went from strength to strength. Built on a harmonious urban plan, the city stretches out on either side of the Wadi Detachu, in two parts with marked architectural influences. To the north and east, the modern city, or "Kezira", was designed by railroad engineers. Opposite the station and its workshops are wide tree-lined avenues lined with houses that once belonged to Greek, Armenian and Indian merchants who settled in the town early on, as well as to railway project managers and local notables. This is where the Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity was built, a symbol of the wealth of the Greek community, and where you'll find the Alliance française, still very active today. Its school has long been a must for future railway workers. On the other side of the river, "Megala" is an Arab-influenced district, a melting pot of the region's ethnic groups.Markets. In the heart of narrow streets, lined with small adobe houses with multicolored facades, people flock to trade at the Kafira market, until the khat (in the early afternoon) begins to dampen the mercantile fever. A little further north is the Taiwan Market, a large smuggling and counterfeiting market supplying the city with all kinds of products, often smuggled in on camels from Djibouti or Somalia.Roadtrip between Awash and Dire Dawa. A few kilometers after leaving Awash, we cross the river of the same name, and we can still see on the right the old railway bridge that crosses the magnificent gorges. A bridge, part of the construction project for the new railroad line between Addis Ababa and Djibouti, has been operational for passengers since 2018. The many trucks loaded with goods leave the main road to follow the northeastern route towards the Djibouti border. The road follows the old railroad line on its right and reaches the village of Asebot. Just 20 km from the latter is a famous monastic enclave housing the churches of Saint Samuel and the Trinity, which dominate the Afar Depression to the north-east from the top of the mountain. From Mieso, the old road, little used and chaotic after the rainy season, continues straight across the arid plain to Dire Dawa. The main road rises to the south towards the Chercher (or Ahmar) mountains, as far as Asebe Teferi, where a market is held on Thursdays. Towards Harar, the ridge road leads through villages to colorful markets (mainly on Saturdays), offering magnificent panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and khat plantations. The Dindin and Jallo Mukthar forests, sanctuaries of the mountain nyala, are protected areas. If you can find a guide in Asebe Teferi, you can go trekking there, even if the area is little explored to date. Further afield, the town of Kulubi and its St Gabriel's Cathedral are the site of some of the Orthodox Church's most important pilgrimages, every July 26 and December 28. Thousands of worshippers, some on foot from great distances, gather to express their gratitude to the saint, some in the expectation of a miraculous cure. 30 km further on, Alemaya marks the junction of two roads: the one on the left leads down to Dire Dawa, while the one on the right leads up to Harar, the two towns being some 55 km apart.

What to visit Diré Dawa?

Weather at the moment

Loading...
Organize your trip with our partners Diré Dawa
Transportation
Accommodation & stays
Services / On site

Diré Dawa travel inspiration

Find unique Stay Offers with our Partners

Pictures and images Diré Dawa

Gare de chemin de fer de Diré Dawa. Alamer - Iconotec

Other destinations nearby Diré Dawa

Send a reply