Book

Description

"Harar - the proud city of plenty and peaceful coexistence - shone in the Eastern part of Ethiopia for a period of 500 years. Through its cultural and economic history, Harar manifests the rich mosaic of historical interdependence between Ethiopia, the middle east, and the Indian sub-continent. Recently, however, there is a tendency to undermine the historical features of the city and its role in Ethiopia’s multidimensional development. Unless deliberate and well thought action is taken to counter such efforts, knowledge of the truth will die over time with those who lived or witnessed it, and the alternate narratives will be accepted as truth. This brief historical note is written with the purpose of presenting, albeit briefly, the key historical facts about Harar and its role in the development of Ethiopia as a nation. The authors have reviewed a rich set of historical documents and journal articles to succinctly, but convincingly, summarize what happened over a period of 1200 years in and around Harar. Readers will be able to see the historical significance of Harar as a province to the Kingdom of Ethiopia way before the post-colonial era of national boundaries and monolithic administrations. They will also be able to understand the historical frictions and harmonies of the two major religions in Ethiopia. The tribal conflicts and their implications in the architectural features of the city. And finally, the socioeconomic role of the city in the process of nation building in Ethiopia." Guenet Ayele Gruenberg Journalist and Author, Addis Ababa