Inscribed in 2006, Harar is a fortified historic town in south-eastern Ethiopia. It has been a major commercial center, linking African and Islamic trade routes.
It has been recognized by UNESCO as 'an inland urban settlement with a distinct architectural character and social organization, which cannot be compared to any other town in East Africa.'
Harer Jegol, the fortified Historic town Harari Region, Eastern Ethiopia August 2006
It is considered "the fourth holiest city of Islam" with 82 mosques and 102 shrines. The walls surrounding this sacred Muslim city were built between the 13th and 16th centuries. The walled city of Harar is characterized by a maze of narrow alleyways and forbidding facades.
