A medieval Islamic city in Ethiopia

Ethiopia is a predominantly Christian country, but in its far east lies a city that was long the principal stronghold of Islam in East Africa. Closed to non-believers for centuries, Harar is like a vision from The Arabian Nights, says Fiona Dunlop in The Independent – a perfectly preserved, “spaghettilike” maze of alleyways lined with colourfully painted houses and mosques, and ringed by medieval walls. A historically important trading hub, the city lies in cool, fertile country famed for its high-quality coffee and, increasingly, its khat. Most local men chew this stimulant leaf and, together with the excellent local beer, it makes for a laid-back atmosphere at odds with the city’s pious reputation.

The first Westerner to visit was the explorer Sir Richard Burton, who entered in disguise in 1855 but soon left in disgust at the city’s poverty and “laxity of morals”. More than two decades later, it found a European admirer in the French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Having arrived as a coffee trader in 1880, he stayed for ten years, graduating to arms dealing. An old merchant’s mansion now houses a Rimbaud museum: its treasures include a letter from the poet, complaining he hasn’t been paid for 900 guns he supplied to Emperor Menelik II. The streets beyond have changed little since those days, with sprawling markets where women in vibrant dresses (differing according to their tribe – Oromo, Argobba, Somali) barter over fabrics and spices. In one alley, tailors bend over antique treadle sewing machines; their whirring lending the street its onomatopoeic name, “Girgir”. However, the city’s most curious sight unfolds nightly just beyond its walls, where hyenas gather to feed on scraps that local men offer them by hand – a tradition whose origins are a mystery. Journeys by Design (01273-623790, www.journeysbydesign.com) has a 7-night tour taking in Harar, from £2,400pp excl. flights.