Dire Dawa Old Town & Railway Station
Dire Dawa (Kezira)
A city that rose with the Djibouti railway. Its Kezira old quarter preserves French colonial buildings and a century-old railway station, and it lies on the route to and from Harar.
Dire Dawa grew up in the early 20th century when the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway was built. It lies about 55 km from Harar, and most visitors arrive and leave Harar through its airport. The old Kezira quarter is lined with French-style arcaded houses, tree-lined avenues and colonial buildings with shuttered windows. The old railway station, opened in 1902 and now superseded by a new electrified station, retains its French-style station building and old steam locomotives, and you can ask whether it is possible to go inside. On the other side of the city, the Megala district is a lively Arab-style market area. You can spend half a day sightseeing on the way to or from the airport. It is about 1 hour by car from Harar.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Harar Gate
- Harar Brewery
- Medhane Alem Cathedral & Feres Megala
- Tomb of Emir Nur
- Sherif Harar City Museum (Ras Tafari's House)
- Harar Jugol
- Arthur Rimbaud House
- Gidir Magala & Old Town Markets