Feres Magala


The main square is a bustling place with several minor points of interest. Most conspicuous is the monument to those who died fighting against Menelik’s conquest of Harar. It shows the five original gates. To the east is the rather unimpressive Medhane Alem Cathedral, built by Ras Makonnen on the site of an Egyptian mosque.


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1. Medhane Alem Cathedral

0.02 MILES

On the east side of Feres Megala is this rather unimpressive cathedral, built by Ras Makonnen in 1890 on the site of an Egyptian mosque.

2. Mekina Girgir

0.07 MILES

Leading southeast from Feres Magala, this narrow, atmospheric street is jam-packed with tailors’ workshops, which is how it came to be called ‘Sewing…

3. Harar National Museum

0.09 MILES

This modest museum across the road from Ras Makonnen’s Palace hosts household artefacts, traditional costumes, weapons and jewellery.

5. Old Town

0.09 MILES

Harar’s old walled town (known as Jugal) is a fascinating place that begs exploration. The thick, 5m-high walls running 3.5km around town were erected in…

6. Emir Nur’s Tomb

0.1 MILES

Emir Nur’s Tomb resembles a spiky green beehive. It’s devoted to the ruler who built the city’s walls, and his wife is also buried inside. You enter the…

7. Fallana Gate Market

0.11 MILES

This attractive gate to the north is the site of a colourful market. A chat market, one of many in the city, is also found here.

8. Ras Makonnen’s Palace

0.11 MILES

Don’t expect a fairy-tale castle. This late-19th-century ‘palace’ is a sharp-edged, charmless building. You can climb to the top floor and soak up the…