Harer, city in eastern Ethiopia, near Dire Dawa at an elevation of about 1830 m (about 6000 ft). The city lies in a fertile coffee-growing district; other products of the area are cotton, fruit, and grains. A flourishing livestock market is also here. Harer, a major city of Ethiopia, is surrounded by a high wall and contains the palace of the governor, an Abyssinian church, and a number of mosques. Harer was founded by Arabs in the 7th century; in the 16th century, it was the capital of the independent Muslim state of Adal. The city was conquered by Ethiopia in 1887. Population (1994) 131,139.
