Travel Guide Harar

Altitude: 1,856 m. Population: 160,000. Distance from Addis Ababa: 526 km. This city, a major commercial crossroads, has always been a gateway for Islam to the Horn of Africa. Situated in the foothills of the Ahmar mountain range, which juts out from the center of the eastern lowlands, Harar stands sentinel over the desert plains of the Danakil to the north, the expanses of the Somali savannah to the south and, to the east, the fertile lands where one of the country's finest coffees is grown. Its unique architectural environment lends it a special charm that has earned it UNESCO World Heritage status. Islam's fourth holiest city boasts 82 mosques, three of which date back to the 10th century, and 102 shrines. For the traveler, Harar is a city apart, and strolling through its narrow streets, admiring its old 404s, following in Rimbaud's footsteps and meeting the hyenas is one of the highlights of a trip to Ethiopia. Faranji is in demand, of course, but the people of Harar remain one of the friendliest in the country. The region is also renowned for the quality of its khat, a shipment of which, every morning at dawn, heads for the capital or is flown to Djibouti and Yemen.