Harar (also spelled
Harrar or
Harer) is a city in east central
Ethiopia (
1994 pop. 76,378) and the capital of Harar region. The city is the trade and processing center for the region's major crops of
coffee, cereals, and
cotton. The inhabitants of the Harar region, known as
Harari, are a distinctive group with their own
Semitic dialect.
Originally founded in the 7th century AD, Harar rose to prominence in the 16th century as the capital of a large Muslim state of the same name, but an invasion by Oromo tribesmen in 1577 ended its power over the surrounding region. The city retained carying degrees of independence until occupied by Egypt in 1875. Harar was made part of Ethiopia by King Menelik II in 1887.