ja_mageia

The ancient walled city, of Harar has more than 90 mosques and shrines mixed in with households behind its sixteenth century walls. This city was founded over 1,000 years ago, and is considered one of the holiest centers in the Islamic world. Form this base the strong emir of Harar in the 1500s, Ahmed Gragn, rebelled against the domination of the highland Christian empire of Ethiopia to the west. Gragn was finally defeated near Lake Tana with the assistance of Portuguese force under De Gama. A defensive wall was constructed around the city with gates to protect it from other possible threats.

Westwards, and somewhat to the north or Harar, stands the town of Dire Dawa. This impressively large city sprang into existence in 1902 when the railway builders, advancing inland from the coast, The railway company then ran into difficulties, with the result that construction stopped and the town remained the railway’s terminal for more than a decade.