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in the 10th century, though local legend declares the Sheikh arrived in the 13th century.
Other sources date the first settlement all the way back to the 7th century. Regardless, it
grew into a crossroads for commerce between Africa, India and the Middle East and a
place where great dynasties of rich and powerful merchants grew and the arts flourished.
European merchants eventually joined the mix and though it did decline in importance
over the years, it was still significant enough that the Egyptians came and conquered it in
1875 and held on for 10 years.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, Harar became known as an important centre of Islamic
scholarship and spearheaded Islam's penetration into the Horn. There's an oft-repeated
myth that Harar is the fourth holiest city in Islam (after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem),
but this is purely a local invention.
In 1854 British explorer Richard Burton, disguised as an Arab merchant, was the first
non-Muslim to penetrate the city. French poet Arthur Rimbaud ( Click here ) later spent
many years here. In 1887 the city surrendered to Emperor Menelik, who sought to expand
and unify his empire, but the Hararis still retain their own ethnic identity, language and
culture to this day.
Harar
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