The area of Haar Jugol emerged as the centre of Islamic culture and religion during the Middle Ages. The Islamic Arabic cleric Abadir Umar ar-Rida settled in Harar, located on a plateau surrounded by deep gorges and savannah, around 1216 AD. The historic Harar Jugol Walls was built during the 13th and 16th centuries, fortifying the town.

It was between 1520 and 1568 that Harar served as the capital of the Harari Kingdom in what is known as Harar’s ‘Golden Age’. Local culture flourished, known for coffee, weaving, basketry and bookbinding home to many poets. From the late 16th century to the 19th century, Harar Jugol was an important trade centre between the coast and the interior highlands and a location for Islamic learning. Harar Jugol became an independent emirate in the 17th century until it was invaded by Egypt in 1875. In 1887, the Emperor Menelik II integrated Harar Jugol into Ethiopia. And suffered commercially as the French built the Addis Ababa to Djibouti Railway, diverting north of Harar to save money.