Asumey get

Updated April 15, 2024

## Asumey Get (Assum Gate), Harar: A Practical Guide to One of Harar Jugol’s Historic Entrances

Location: 846P+VVG, Harar, Ethiopia
Coordinates: 9.3122241, 42.1371973
Type: Historical landmark

Harar is a walled city with a thousand years of layered history, recognized by UNESCO for its exceptional cultural value. Within these walls—Harar Jugol—five historic gates organized movement, trade, and neighborhood identity. “Asumey Get” is very likely a local/mapping transliteration for Assum Gate (Harari: Assum Bari), one of the city’s five original gateways. You’ll also see the name rendered as Assumiy, Asum, or Assum Bari depending on the source and language.

> Name note & translation drift: Gate names in Harar appear in Harari, Amharic, Arabic, and Oromo across the literature. That mix leads to spelling variants (e.g., Assum Bari/Assumiy/Asumey). Contemporary maps and POI databases sometimes reflect these variations, which explains why you may encounter “Asumey get” in map layers for central Harar.

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### Why Assum Gate matters

– One of the five historic gates. Harar’s old city was traditionally divided into five quarters, each aligned with a principal gate—Assum Bari (north), Argobba Bari (east), Suqutat Bari (southeast), Badro Bari (south), and Asmadin Bari (west). Assum Gate anchored the northern approach and linked directly into its quarter’s lanes and markets.
– Part of a UNESCO-listed urban ensemble. The gates are integral to Harar Jugol, the Fortified Historic Town, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2006 for its urban plan, Islamic heritage, and dense network of mosques and shrines. The gates help illustrate how trade routes and religious life structured the city.
– Symbolism & structure. Scholarship and local narratives emphasize the gates’ symbolic association with foundational aspects of Islamic life and daily rhythms, even as the modern city expanded outside the wall. While interpretations vary, the five-fold division remains central to how Harar’s urban fabric is described.

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### Orientation: finding “Asumey Get” on the ground

– Map handle: The plus-code 846P+VVG plots to the old-city core. Expect narrow, walkable alleys rather than wide streets—this is a compact medieval plan. (Fuel up on patience; GPS drift in tight lanes is normal.)
– Quarter context: Assum Gate sits at/near the north of Harar Jugol. From here, footpaths thread toward central squares such as Feres Magala, with markets, mosques, and hundreds of traditional gey gar (Harari houses) radiating off the main spines.
– Expect name mismatches: A given signboard may read Assum Bari while a map app says Asumey get. Treat them as equivalent for navigation purposes unless a local advises otherwise. Commons

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### What you’ll actually see

– Gate + wall segments. Harar’s stone Jugol wall—about 3.5 km long and up to 5 m high—survives in substantial stretches. Gate areas vary in condition and setting; some are tight chokepoints opening straight into lanes, others are framed by small forecourts or vendor clusters. Hit
– Everyday life first, “monument” second. The gates aren’t cordoned museum pieces—they’re living thresholds. You’ll encounter residents moving goods, kids, carts, and the occasional goat as you step through. Look for carved doors, pastel walls, and wall niches on homes deeper inside the quarter, a hallmark of Harari domestic architecture.

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### How to visit responsibly (and efficiently)

– Go with a Harari guide. Local guides read the alleys like a book. They help you locate the exact gate face if your pin is offset and can connect the gate to nearby shrines, markets, and house-museums without backtracking. (Harar’s maze rewards context.)
– Timing: Early morning or late afternoon offers softer light for textures in stone and stucco. Midday glare bounces hard off pale walls.
– Photography etiquette: Always ask before photographing people or private doorways; many façades are residential.
– Clothing & conduct: Harar is an important Islamic center with 82 mosques and 100+ shrines—dress modestly and keep voices low near prayer times.
– Wayfinding tip: If you lose the line to the gate, re-anchor at a prominent square (e.g., Feres Magala) and proceed by landmarks rather than pure GPS; alley geometry can confuse compass readings in-app.

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### How Assum Gate relates to the other gates (quick compare)

– Assum Bari (north): Your “Asumey get.” Northern entry, historically tied to its own quarter.
– Argobba Bari (east): Name reflects Argobba connections, one of the region’s trading communities.
– Suqutat Bari (southeast): Etymology linked in sources to land/market terms; opens toward the southeast approaches.
– Badro Bari (south): Southern gate; variants Badri/Badro appear across documents.
– Asmadin Bari (west): Named for the 16th-century Garad Asmadin; associated with key episodes in Harar’s history.

> Outdated/variable data to note: Some tourism sites and even local pages list gate names differently (e.g., “Shoa/Buda/Sanga/Erer/Falana”). Those reflect alternative naming traditions and translation choices. For academically anchored naming and orientation, use the five listed above; they’re consistent with modern scholarly summaries and the Harar page’s current layout section. Hit

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### Accessibility & on-the-ground conditions

– Surfaces: Uneven stones, steps, and tight turns are common near the gate. Wheelchair access is limited in immediate gate alleys; some perimeter roads are smoother but may not connect directly.
– Traffic: Expect pedestrians and handcarts rather than cars. The modern “Harar Gate” (a later, wider opening) handles most vehicle flows; it’s not one of the five historic gates.
– Services nearby: Small cafés, tea stalls, and produce sellers cluster around squares within a few minutes’ walk inside the walls; exact vendors change frequently.

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### Safety, culture, and respect

– Community first: Gates are part of a living neighborhood. Keep doorways clear, step aside for porters, and avoid blocking narrow passages for photos.
– Religious spaces: If a procession or prayer activity is underway near the gate, pause and give space.
– Guided night experiences: Popular hyena-feeding shows occur outside the walls at night. If you’re returning to your lodging after dark, arrange transport or guiding back to your accommodation.

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### Fast facts (for your itinerary)

– UNESCO inscription: 2006 (Cultural criteria ii, iii, iv, v).
– Harar Jugol wall: ~3.5 km circumference; up to 5 m high; built 13th–16th centuries. Hit
– Historic gates: Assum, Argobba, Suqutat, Badro, Asmadin.

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### Final accuracy notes

– Name variants: “Asumey get,” “Assumiy,” and “Assum Bari” refer to the same historic gate area in/around the north of the walled city; spelling varies across languages and sources. Commons
– Mapping quirks: In dense alleys, GPS pins can be offset by tens of meters. Use the plus-code and ask a local or guide to point out the physical gate arch if you’re close but not seeing it immediately.
– Data drift: Some web pages repeat older gate name sets (e.g., “Erer/Falana/Shoa”) that don’t match the widely cited academic summary today; treat those lists as alternative nomenclature rather than different places. Hit

If you’re structuring a day in Harar around architecture and living heritage, threading Assum Gate → Feres Magala → a traditional Harari house interior is a tight, high-yield route that grounds the old city’s history in the details you can actually touch and see.

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