Coffee and spirituality in Ethiopia

Africa — By Bob Riel on September 27, 2007 at 3:38 pm

Those are two of the main attractions of Harar, an ancient Ethiopian city that is trying to make its way onto the world’s crowded tourist map, according to this travel article.

For 1,000 years, this city on a hilltop has been a center of Islamic faith in the Horn of Africa, with a forbidding, 13-foot wall surrounding ancient mosques and serpentine alleyways. Now, Harar leaders are hoping it can become a center of tourism as well.

“The future of Harar is tourist attraction,” said regional president Murad Abdulhadi…

Harar was named a UNESCO World Heritage site last year…It is also the fourth holiest city in Islam – behind Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. And some consider Harar the birthplace of coffee. Its aroma wafts through the cool air of the Ethiopian highlands.