Favorite Place

Harar, Ethiopia. Home to generations of my ancestors, and birthplace to my dad. My mom was born 8 hours away, but both of my parents have heritage from beyond the gates. I visit Ethiopia every few years and Harar is one of my key destination points. Outside of those walls, I am a foreigner to the rest of Ethiopia. Stumbling over my Amharic, Ethiopia's national language, and standing out with my "American" clothes—I stick out. When I visit Harar however, every street corner is familiar to me, and Geysinan, an Amharic dialect, flows out of my mouth like a familiar song. This is my favorite place as it is a home apart from home. The history of the walled city consists of kings and queens of a sovereign state, Biblical and Quranic references, and a strong cultural heritage. My favorite thing about the city is how its people are at peace with the hyenas who roam at night. Long ago, as hungry hyenas terrorized the city, and as an attempt to satisfy their hunger a young man fed the hyenas Ashura, porridge. Solidifying a pact between the humans and hyenas, one day out of the year is denoted as the Day of Ashura—where the hyenas of the city are fed porridge to keep the peace. According to legend, if the hyenas finish more than half of their bowl, a plentiful year is ahead of the city.

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/ethiopia-harar-city-of-mosques/index.html