Dire Dawa » Venture Ethiopia - Tours and Travel

Dire Dawa

The city of Dire Dawa was established in 1902 and is sometimes called "New Harar".  When the Addis Ababa - Djibouti Railway line was being built, it was originally intended to run through Harar, but geographical and financial constraints meant the line had to be diverted away and the city of Dire Dawa was born.  You can still visit the old railway station today.

The area surrounding Dire Dawa has a rich wealth of pre-historic cave paintings, some of which have achieved international recognition through the efforts of the French and American Geologists that have studied them over the past 75 years.

Also of interest is the cemetery containing the remains of the British airmen and African soldiers who, during the second World War, fought beside the Ethiopian forces to liberate Ethiopia from Italian occupation.

The city also hosts a traditional market place where you can see the a colourful collection of people in cultural dress. The presence of camels, donkeys, and horse-drawn carts gives it an aura of medieval times.

 

  • If you're interested in visiting Dire Dawa or the cave paintings, this can be added as an extra day to our Eastern Ethiopia tour.  Please contact us for more details.

Map of Dire Dawa