Ethiopia
A walled Ethiopian holy city of 82 mosques and narrow painted lanes, where men still feed wild hyenas by night.
A twisting lane of lime-green and blue walls opening onto a tiny mosque, the scent of roasting coffee in a courtyard, and, after dark outside the city gate, a man calling wild hyenas by name and feeding them scraps from a stick held in his teeth.
Harar is one of Islam's ancient holy cities — a fortified maze of narrow, colour-washed alleys, dozens of mosques and shrines, and bright Harari houses in the highlands of eastern Ethiopia, famous for its coffee, its poet-exile Rimbaud, and the men who feed wild hyenas by hand at night.
Harar sits on a hilltop in the eastern highlands of Ethiopia, long a crossroads of trade between the interior, the Red Sea and the Islamic world. Its heart is the Jugol, a walled old town of some 16th-century ramparts pierced by gates, packed with a labyrinth of narrow alleys, dozens of mosques and shrines, colourful courtyard houses and crowded markets — a UNESCO site often called a holy city of Islam. Beyond the walls spreads a newer town, and outside a gate each night the famous "hyena men" carry on a strange local tradition. A centre of coffee, culture and craft, and once home to the French poet Rimbaud, it's one of Africa's most atmospheric old cities.
Harar is unlike anywhere else — a UNESCO walled town of extraordinary density and colour, a living Islamic holy city of mosques, shrines and painted alleys where daily life carries on much as it has for centuries. It's the heartland of Ethiopian coffee, home to a distinctive Harari culture of bright courtyard houses and basketry, connected to the poet Rimbaud, and the stage for the singular nightly ritual of hand-feeding wild hyenas. Remote, intense and deeply atmospheric, it rewards adventurous travellers drawn to living heritage.
Losing yourself in the Jugol — Harar's old town is one of the most atmospheric urban spaces in Africa — a warren of impossibly narrow, twisting alleys washed in lime green, blue, pink and white, opening onto tiny mosques, saints' shrines and hidden courtyards, all crammed inside the ancient walls. It's genuinely maze-like, and a local guide is well worth it to navigate and interpret the mosques, houses and customs. Wander slowly, look into the bright courtyards, and let the layered, living old city unfold. This is the heart of the visit.
Harari houses and coffee — Harari culture is distinctive, and its courtyard houses are a highlight — some open as house museums, revealing brightly painted interiors, tiered wall niches displaying baskets and dishes, and the famous Harari basketry. And this is coffee country: the surrounding highlands grow some of Ethiopia's finest beans, and the traditional coffee ceremony — roasting, grinding and brewing over charcoal, served in tiny cups with incense — is central to hospitality. Sit for a ceremony, and buy Harari coffee at the source.
The hyena men — Harar's most extraordinary sight is the nightly hyena feeding — for generations, "hyena men" have fed wild spotted hyenas by hand just outside the city gates, calling them by name and offering scraps of meat from a stick (sometimes held in the mouth), and visitors can watch and even join in. It's part folklore, part tradition (the hyenas are said to keep the peace with the town), and unlike anything else — thrilling, a little unnerving, and a genuine local ritual rather than a staged show, though it now draws tourists.
Markets, gates and Rimbaud — Beyond the mosques and houses, Harar is a trading town, and its crowded markets — spilling around the gates, heaped with produce, spices, baskets and the ubiquitous khat (a mild stimulant leaf chewed across the region) — are vivid and photogenic. The five gates in the old wall punctuate the town, and the ornate Rimbaud House, tied to the French poet who lived here as a trader, adds a curious European footnote. Between the markets, the gates and the culture, Harar rewards curiosity at every turn.
Harar neighbourhood by neighbourhood — the character of each and who it suits.
The dense heart — a labyrinth of narrow, colour-washed alleys within the old ramparts, packed with mosques, shrines, courtyard houses, markets and everyday life. The living, atmospheric core.
The central square (Feres Magala) and the cultural landmarks around it — the striking Rimbaud House museum, churches and civic buildings — the focal point of the old town.
The newer town outside the gates and the open ground where the hyena men perform their nightly feeding — the modern, workaday edge and the site of the town's most famous ritual.
Harar eats Ethiopian and Harari. The staple is injera — a large sourdough flatbread — served with an array of spicy stews (wats) of meat, lentils and vegetables, scooped up by hand; fasting-day spreads are richly vegetarian. Harari specialities and hearty highland dishes feature, and this is the heartland of Ethiopian coffee, taken in the ceremonial way with roasting, incense and tiny cups. Khat, a mild stimulant leaf, is widely chewed socially across the region. Eat in local restaurants and courtyard houses, and take a coffee ceremony.
Vegetarians eat surprisingly well — Ethiopian Orthodox fasting means many restaurants offer rich vegan/vegetarian "fasting" platters of lentils and vegetables on injera (injera is usually made from teff, naturally gluten-free — though wheat is sometimes blended in, so ask). Vegan is genuinely easy on fasting food. Halal is widely available in this Muslim city; kosher is unavailable. For gluten-free, confirm the injera is pure teff, and beware wheat in some breads and blends.
Stay inside or just beside the Jugol to be among the alleys, mosques and markets — Harar has guesthouses (including traditional Harari houses turned guesthouses) and simple hotels, atmospheric and very cheap. The new town outside the walls has more standard hotels. A local guide is invaluable for the maze-like old town. It's remote and basic in comforts but rich in atmosphere; book ahead in the drier high season.
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The Jugol is compact but a genuine maze, best explored on foot with a guide. The new town and the hyena grounds are reached on foot, by bajaj (tuk-tuk) or taxi. A car isn't needed within the walls, which are largely pedestrian.
The Jugol, Feres Magala and the gates are all a short walk apart; the hyena-feeding ground and new town are just outside the walls — a short walk or bajaj ride.
Ready-made day plans for Harar — from a single day to a long weekend.
Spend the morning exploring the Jugol with a guide — the painted alleys, the mosques and shrines, a traditional Harari house museum, and the central Feres Magala square with the Rimbaud House. Have an injera lunch and sit for a coffee ceremony, browse the markets around the gates in the afternoon, and after dark head outside the walls for the famous hyena feeding.
With an overnight, go deeper. Explore more of the old town's mosques, houses and crafts, take a proper coffee ceremony and buy Harari beans, and visit the markets at their busiest. With time and local advice, the surrounding highlands and the road to Dire Dawa add context to this remote, singular corner of Ethiopia.
October to February — drier and mild in the highlands
What to expect — The highland climate is mild year-round, but spring brings the "belg" rains and building toward the main wet season; warm days, some showers. Green.
What's best — Green highlands and mild temperatures between showers, and a quieter town — carry rain gear; the drier months are more comfortable for the alleys.
What to expect — The main rainy season (roughly June to September) in the Ethiopian highlands, with regular heavy showers, though the days stay mild. Wet.
What's best — Lush green surroundings and few visitors, with the mild highland temperatures — but expect rain and muddy alleys, so the dry season is easier.
What to expect — The rains easing by around October into the dry, comfortable season, with mild days and clearing skies. Improving into one of the best windows.
What's best — The rains fading and the dry season beginning, green surroundings, mild weather and festival season — a rewarding time as the best months arrive.
What to expect — The dry season (October to February) — mild, comfortable highland days and cool nights, the best time to visit. Pleasant and clear.
What's best — The most comfortable weather for the old town, the markets and the hyenas, clear skies and cool evenings, and the coffee harvest season — the ideal window.
Skip trying to navigate the Jugol alone → hire a local guide to interpret the maze, the mosques and the customs.
Skip a standard hotel → stay in a traditional Harari courtyard house for the real experience.
Skip instant coffee → sit for a full Ethiopian coffee ceremony at the source.
Skip judging the hyena feeding as a show → it's a genuine local tradition, thrilling and a little wild.
Harar is remote and rarely crowded; the dry season and festivals bring more visitors — book ahead then.
The hyena feeding happens after dark just outside a gate — arrange it through your guesthouse or guide.
This is a conservative Islamic holy city — dress modestly (cover shoulders and knees), and women may wish to cover their heads near mosques and shrines.
Ask permission before photographing people, houses and the markets, and expect to pay small fees for house visits and the hyenas.
Check current travel advice for eastern Ethiopia before you go, as the wider region's security can change.
Carry plenty of birr in cash — cards are rarely accepted and ATMs unreliable; there's little way to pay electronically.
Agree guide and hyena-feeding fees up front, and carry small notes for tips and house visits.
The main after-dark event is the hyena feeding outside the walls — otherwise Harar is quiet and early.
The old town's cafés and coffee houses, and the khat-and-tea social scene, hold the gentle evening life.
There's little nightlife; the night here is the hyenas, a coffee and rest.
Harar is reached via Dire Dawa (the nearest airport, with flights from Addis Ababa), then around an hour by road, or by a long drive/bus from Addis Ababa; there is no airport in Harar itself.
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