Close to Rimbaud’s House, the conspicuous Ras Tafari’s House was built by an Indian trader and many of its features, such as the Ganesh carving above the door, are Eastern in origin. Haile Selassie spent his honeymoon here: hence the house bears his precoronation name. It’s now home to a well-organised museum that houses a private collection of weaponry, coins, jewellery, household tools, old manuscripts and cultural dress. The owner will probably offer to show you his book-restoration workshop upstairs.
Ras Tafari's House & Sherif Harar City Museum
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
9.2 MILES
With its superb architecture and dramatic setting, the clifftop village of Koremi, 19km southeast of Harar above the Erer Valley, is a definite must-see…
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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…
0.38 MILES
Located north of Fallana Gate, this is one of Harar's two hyena feeding stations. A highlight of any visit to Harar, this impressive spectacle begins…
16.71 MILES
Despite considerable tree cutting, livestock grazing and land encroachment, Babille is better protected than many of Ethiopia’s national parks, and the…
0.38 MILES
One of Harar's two infamous hyena feeding sites, it is located about 1.5km east of Erer Gate (near the garbage dump). This site is usually more productive…
0.04 MILES
Near the middle of the walled city, and often mistakenly called Rimbaud’s House, is this museum dedicated to French poet Arthur Rimbaud with a series of…
0.3 MILES
The tomb of Sheikh Abadir, Harar’s legendary founder and second emir, is an important pilgrimage site. His tomb still attracts worshippers seeking…
Nearby attractions
0.03 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…
0.04 MILES
Near the middle of the walled city, and often mistakenly called Rimbaud’s House, is this museum dedicated to French poet Arthur Rimbaud with a series of…
0.05 MILES
This small mosque right in the heart of the old town is a useful landmark.
0.06 MILES
Gidir Magala (previously known as the Muslim market) is the main market and the city’s biggest butchery. Watch how the locals hide their meat purchases…
0.07 MILES
Said Ali Hamdogn was an important 12th-century religious leader. His whitewashed tomb can easily be visited; it looks a little like a miniature mosque…
0.07 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.
0.08 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…
0.08 MILES
This modest museum across the road from Ras Makonnen’s Palace hosts household artefacts, traditional costumes, weapons and jewellery.