Afar

history
• The Afar are an Ethnic group of about 2.12 Million people, living a semi-nomadic
lifestyle in an area called Afar triangle.
• It extends over the countries Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea.
• They are all speaking the same language, have the same culture and are Muslim.
Through trade and migration from the Arabian Peninsula the religion was brought to
the Afar in the ninth century.
• They are speaking a Cushitic language which belongs to the family of Afro-Asiatic
languages.
 Climate and habitat:
• The habitat is determined by high
temperatures and little rainfall.
• The average temperature is 27.5°C and
the average Annual rainfall between 500
and 1000 mm.
• It is also one of the hottest areas in the world with
temperatures up to 48°C.
• many volcanos can be found and high risk for
earthquakes.
• Regarding vegetation;
• 48% of the land is covered with exposed soil, sand or
rock,
• 32% are shrub land,
• 15% are covered with grass and
• 5% with forest, rivers and cultivated land.
 History:

• Pastoralism: Traditionally Afar are raising

livestock on natural pasture. Depending on
rainfall and pasture condition they move with
their animals.
• During rainy season grasslands in higher
elevations are used for pasture while the rivers
in lower altitude get flooded. In the dry season
these wetlands of the rivers are used for
grazing.
• A satellite camp, called “magida” is constructed
when they reach the pasture. The lactating herd,
including milking, pregnant and young animals
stays with the rest of the family in the main
settlement, called “homa”. This rotating grazing
system allows the land to rest and regenerate.
 Social structure:

• In Afar society the social structure is determined

by clans and tribes. They are separated into two
big sections,
o the “Ashimarra”, which means the red
people(around the Awash River ), and
o the “Adohhimarra”, which means the white
people (north of Afar ).
.
 Afar village:
• People living together in the main settlement
(homa) normally belong to the same family of
different generations.
• It is consisting about four to 18 households and is
normally located close to a permanent water
source to provide water for the animals.
• women, children and older people live in semi-
permanent houses to take care of the lactating,
pregnant or young livestock. In case of an
emergency the village can move to another place,
but normally the position changes once a year.
 Cont...

• Most times a compound is surrounded by a

fence with a round or oval ground plan.
These fences are made of stones or thorny
branches and are necessary to protect the
house from animals that would eat up parts
of the houses that are covered with grass or
mats of palm leaves.
 Hazards affecting the region

• Floods and landslides

• Earthquakes
• Drought
• Conflicts
 Sedentary or semi-nomadic houses:

stone house (dabou )...

• used by sedentary people or by seminomadic
groups having a fix sedentary place to go back.
• is found at the foot of the highlands where the
soil is constituted of sandstone or pumice.
• have thick stone masonry bearing walls and a
thorn and rubble roof.
The nomad huts
• The Afar nomad huts, called ari, are oval-shaped
and are erected by women.
• They are also demounted and loaded on to the
camels by the women when the group decides to
move. The covering is made with palm mats.
• Women are also the owners of the huts.
• The structure of the hut is erected making an
domed armature of branches.
rectangular constructions
• Another kind of sedentary vernacular
dwelling are rectangular constructions
with wooden structure and wooden
walls, sometimes with a chikka filling
and with a flat earthen roof.
 Cont...

• There also exist in some places

rectangular houses made with wooden
structure whose walls are covered with
fibre mats and that have CGI roofing.
More and more buildings are been made
with rectangular form and with chikka
structure (or also with cement blocks) and
CGI roofs, mainly in cities.
 Afar house
• There is at least one house, sometimes combined
with a guest house, fenced areas for small and
lactating animals, a place for smoke perfuming and a
place of praying. Afar traditionally pray outside, not
in a mosque. ).
• If a family has two houses, there will be a mobile
family house and a semi-permanent guest house,
sometimes connected to each other directly or by a
connecting tent. The entrance of the tent is very
small, and its orientation is usually aligned with the
wind.
 Cont...

• The reason for the small size of the opening

is to keep heat and wind out and it also
guarantees people slow down before
entering the house; so that people enter the
house with respect.
• As there is no opening in the housing
structure to let the smoke out, the inside is
covered with soot. This is necessary to make
the mats made of palm leaves that cover the
house waterproof and more durable.
 The construction of an Afar house:
• The Afar call their mobile house “deboita”, which
means family house., they vary in ;
• size,
• height,
• form and
• material depending on local tradition,
environmental conditions and available resources.
construction scheme of a
deboita
 Construction technique
• The primary structure is a very simple construction of bent wooden sticks dug into
earth or fixed by stones that is covered with different materials
• Afar houses are traditionally constructed by women.
• The wooden sticks for the primary construction are usually collected, sometimes also
cut off from a tree.
• Before these branches are used the first time they have to be soaked in water for
several days to get more pliable and flexible.
• Then they are anchored in their final position, dry out and will then keep their shape.
;-For the mobile house it is important to have uniform branches so they are easy to
transport.
 Cont...
• First one row of Arches is placed,
• then the second row is added rotated 90 degrees.
• The branches are connected to each other by lines,
textile pieces, leather stripes or plant fiber.
• To cover the house 20 to 30 mats are needed (from
bamboo fibers or palm leaves). plastic, animal skin or
blankets are used additionally.
• The connection to the substructure is made by thorns,
leather strips or ropes. cover with mats of palm leaves and
other materials fixed with ropes
• The mats are not available anywhere,
 guest house
• The framework of the substructure has no recognizable
pattern,
• the branches are arranged irregularly.
• Also the house is thatched with bundled tufts of grass
instead of mats.
• This thick layer of grass has a better thermal insulation
than the mats,
• so it’s providing a comfortable living environment
during day. the family and guest house are additionally grass cover fixed with branches
fixed from outside with ropes or branches.
Vernacular houses of Somali
 Types of house

1. The nomadic hut (aqal)

2. Agro-pastoralist chikka houses (mundal)
3. Sedentary houses
 The nomadic hut (aqal)
• Somalis are mostly pastoralist nomads
moving in search of pasture and water
whose shelters are portable huts called
aqal. These huts are dome-shaped and
usually have an elliptic base. They are
built by women with varying materials
usually gathered by themselves
depending on the availability in each
zone: branches, wooden poles, reeds,
grass, roots, woven mats, animal skins
and lately also plastics and CGI sheets.
Once the group decides to move away,
women dismantle the huts and carry
them on camel backs.
 Cont….

• An aqal is separated into two

areas: one at the back, which
helds the sleeping area, and one
at the front, which is used like
living area. There might also be an
outer uncovered veranda
(gabbaad).
 Cont…

• Somali nomadics usually have few possessions which have

practical uses. A bed made from wooden sticks covered with
hides is the only furniture in the aqal. Cooking utensils, storage
boxes, stools, woven mats and water bags are among the
family’s goods and constitute part of the Somali crafts.
 Structure and methodology

• The structure of the hut may have from

three to seven arched branches (dhigo). In
intersection with the first ones, other
arched branches are placed to form a round
or elliptical hut (lool). These arches are held
by either one or two (depending on the
number of dhigo) long pieces of wood with
a V-shaped head placed in the long axe of
the hut. Two pillars are erected on the sides
of the door as jambs. Right after, the
woven hand-made mats are fastened to
the structure.
 Interior of Somali aqal

• There are different kinds of mats with

specific positions in the aqal. Once
finished, the huts are fastened to the
ground diagonally and horizontally
with ropes so that they are not blown
away by storms. During rainy seasons
waterproof plastic sheets called
shiraac are used to protect the huts on
top of the mats
 Agro-pastoralist chikka houses (mundal)

• Agro-pastoralists and riverine

communities usually live in
more permanent structures
similar to chikka round
houses with thatched roofs
and palm fronds knotted
together. This kind of house is
called mundal. Plastering is
made with earth, animal
dung, and ashes.
 Sedentary houses

• Sedentary people in Somali may

also live in rectangular chikka,
stone, brick or cement houses with
CGI sheets roofs (arish) or concrete
roofs in new buildings in cities. In
cities, people also live in Arab-style
whitewashed houses made of stone
or brick coated with lime or cement
mortars.
The City Of Harar
• Harar was probably founded by a colony from
Hadhramaut in south Arabia during 9th century AD. The
first Ethiopia king who conquered it for a while was amda
zion (1314-1344).it was the capital of moselm rulers such
as Ahmed Grange from 1520-1577.
• Harar became Ethiopia main gate for imported goods
• A community of Indian traders who arrived to Ethiopia a
round 1900 settled first at Harar.

The old ancient walled town , jugal , is Built upon a kidney shaped
piece of land .Its total area is not more than 48 hectares and the
length of its surrounding wall is 3.5 kms With an average height
of 4 m. Jugal located at the center of the city Harar which is 1000
year old city.
• The wall previously had five gates each for d/f purpose.
• The houses and shrines are all of similar construction
techniques.
Major historical building , besides the principal Mosque and two
main shrines are those major Architectural features built in last
century by Arab crafts man.
 Harar peoples national regional state is one of the nine regions in the country ,which is located in the
eastern part of the country with an approximate area of 343.2 sq,km.
Harar city is found at about 526km from Addis ababa and 55km from dire dawa.
The climate condition is remarkably mild . Sub tropical climatic zone. The mean annual temperature range
is between 13 to 27 degree Celsius and relatively humidity is of quite low .

Harar considered as living museum for its

vibrancy in social , cultural , religious and
Economic activities as well as for its unique
Physical , cultural and , social -economic
Character.
• Peoples of different culture and religious are
living together in the town.
• UESCO declared the area as the world
heritage site.
What tourists find attractive about Harar
• The walled city
• The market
• Colorful dresses
• Surrounding scenery
• Hyena feeding
• Historical buildings
• Museums
• Chat
• History and relaxed
atmosphere of the city
• The old traditional houses
 Demography

• The small, walled city of Harar, where everything happens that is of importance to the dominant group of
the town, the Harari, is divided into five quarters (map), each near one of the five classical gates .
• in the West, Asäddim Bäri, in the South, Bädro Bäri, in the South-East, Suqtut Bäri, in the East, towards the
Erer Valley, Argob Bäri, ; and in the North, Assum Bäri - translated "Axum Gate.
• Harar has today a population of about 45,000 inhabitants. This population consists of several ethnic,
cultural, religious and even language groups.
• As a historical trading center, many buildings are quite unique to Ethiopia, with Indian and Islamic
architectural details being quite noticeable within the fortified walls at the center of the city. In the
surroundings of the city, some rural territory makes also part of the current Harari region.
the five classical gates
•Asäddim Bäri
• Bädro Bäri
• Suqtut Bäri
• Argob Bäri
• Assum Bäri - translated "Axum Gate.
 The Traditional House

• Two kinds of houses are found in vernacular architecture in Harar: chukka houses and stone flat-
roofed houses (in the historic city center). The latter are less usual in Ethiopia, being a reminiscence of
the coastal Arab architecture. Men build both kinds of houses and repair wall and roofs when
necessary. Women are in charge of the day to day maintenance.
 Stone and flat-roofed houses
is very dense in terms of buildings and population, with
narrow streets, dead ends and stone-built courtyards isolated from
the public space by high walls. In this part of the city, the
predominant kind of house is called gegar.
These buildings are rectangular, built of stone masonry walls and
flat-roofed. They are often two-storied and are surrounded by an
about 2 m high wall. They have a white-washed or pastel colour
exterior which is painted twice a year. Flat roofs are made with
wooden planks and covered with earth and dry grass. The interior of
the houses has different rooms, one of which is used to receive guests.
Raised platforms in different levels determine the status of the guest.
The walls are painted with ochre or red earth and covered with
cotton cloths or carpets and decorated with handcrafts. Several
niches in the walls contain ceramics. Many houses have balconies.
Chikka houses
• Chikka houses are common down in
the warmer areas of the region.
• round houses with a thatch roof are
very common in the outskirts of the city
and in the countryside of the Harar
region. They have a central pillar to
support the conical roof. Within the city,
these houses lay in neighborhoods
where streets and houses are made of
earth and houses are grouped together
in compounds protected by vegetal
fences.
 Construction materials
• Limestone
• smoothed mud
• red earth
• Mats
• Wood
• Load bearing stone masonry walls with earthen mortar
• There are five nädäbas: the big nädäba (gidir nädäba) by
the main wall opposite the entrance; the small, somewhat
lower one (tit nädäba) below the big one; the (Amir
nädäba) for guests of honor and for the master of the
house, either to the right or to the left; the "hidden"
nädäba (sutri nädäba) either to the right or to the left but
always behind the protruding pillar, maxazu, and serving
as a sleeping place; and the nädäba right behind the
entrance door (gäbti ähär nädäba).
• As one enters the main living room
(gidir gr), there is a doorway leading
left or right into the kirtät, a side-room
with a ceiling only half the height of the
gidir gr. The kirtät also has a nädäba.
The wall between kirtät and gidir gr
sometimes has a window-screen of
delicately carved woodwork.
beside the entrance door and starting from the
ground level part of the gidir gr, there is a
staircase (märkb) of six to nine steps. made of
delicately carved woodwork. This staircase leads
to a room above the low ceilings of the kirtät and
dra, which is called the qala .
• The ceiling of the qala is at the same height as that of the
gidir gr r (which is thus as high as the kirtät or dera and the
qala together), and formerly there was no partition between
the qala and the gidir gr, but more recently a screen of
pierced woodwork generally divides the two rooms.
• The traditional houses are nowadays whitewashed with
some sort of limestone (nacih afar). The floor, which Burton
described as of smoothed mud, is covered with red earth
(qeh afar), and the visible parts of the nädäbas are painted
red with oil paint. The nädäbas are covered with mats .
Right in front, next to the nädäba of honor (Amir nadaiba)
which is either on the right or the left of the living-room,
there is a protruding pillar.
• The ceilings in older houses are also made
of thin tree trunks stripped of their bark.
One beam exactly above the edge of the
first nädäba. Occasionally there is next to
the living rooms, with a nädäba , a window
and an entrance door of its own, often no
connecting door. the doors or gates to
compounds and houses as simple planks
made of one piece of wood,

Roofs are often flat with wide overhanging eaves that help
protect the earth and straw mortar rendered walls from
the heavy rains. Beams are covered with wood planks and
an earthen mortar usually used for the pillars and beams
to support the heavy earthen roofs of these houses.
• Material and construction techniques
All the mosques and houses in harar are built of stone (granite and limestone ), a material which is plentiful
in the region, and which is assembled with a mud mortar , called gogoba. The doors and the structure of the
prayer room are in juniper wood ,the wanza inch , known for its resistance to termites.
the four walls of an average height of 4m are made of limestone , the lightness and porosity of which ensure
protection against earthquakes and dampness. Every meter , a plank of horizontal wood is set in to
consolidate the masonry. The walls are white washed .inside , two pillars of a diameter of 80cm om average
support an intermediary beam and the two parallel walls (north and south). In order to fix them to the beam
a mixture of the small stone and mud is applied between each rafter . This stage in the construction of the
structure is called the mersa . Then ,perpendicular to the rafter . Wooden loges known as kebel are laid :finally
a layer of dried grass is applied to improve water lightness. This traditional structure which is found in all the
traditional .the terrace roof slopes slightly to enable the rain water to run off . A parapet 50 cm high protects
the wall from infiltrations and the roof from erosion .the maintenance which takes place twice a year consist
in removing the weeds and applying a new layer of mud mortar. in removing the weeds and applying.