Ethiopia (April-May 2012): Harar and around (3/3)

Koremi and Babile

Return to main Ethiopia 2012 webpage | Return to Harar 2012 page

Koremi:

Koremi is considered the oldest settlement in this region of Ethiopia and is famous for its multi-century-old stone houses. Its inhabitants, locally called the Argobba, practice terraced agriculture (mostly coffee and khat) in the surrounding hills.

Landscape around Koremi.

Stone houses. Most have a rectangular shape and few small windows.

Main room inside a house. The overall arrangement is similar to the one in a Harari house, but the decorations and furniture are much more sober, both in number and colors.

Rare circular houses near Koremi.

Friendly children of Koremi.

Babile:

Babile is located 35km east of Harar on the way to Somaliland (140km further east). It is at best a moderately interesting market town inhabited mostly by Somali people. It also gives access to the Babile Elephant Sanctuary, 80km south of Babile. I did not visit this sanctuary, nor did I continue to Somaliland.

In the streets of Babile.

Vendors of khat.

Women cooking and selling fritters.

Other women selling oinions, garlic, potatoes, and chili.

Man and woman in Babile.

Rock formations and bee hive hanging from a tree near Babile.

At a camp of Somali herders near Babile.

Return to main Ethiopia 2012 webpage | Return to Harar 2012 page