Brief synthesisThe fortified historic town of Harar is located in the eastern part of Ethiopia, 525 km from the capital of Addis Ababa, on a plateau with deep gorges surrounded by deserts and savannah. The historic town has a traditionally functioning community, forming a complex social-environmental whole where each element has its symbolic and practical significance. Criterion (ii): The historic town of Harar Jugol exhibits an important interchange of values of original Islamic culture, expressed in the social and cultural development of the city enclosed within the otherwise Christian region. Criterion (iii): Harar Jugol bears exceptional testimony to cultural traditions related to Islamic and African roots. The building types and the entire urban layout reflect these traditions, which give a particular character and even uniqueness to Harar Jugol.