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.