Long associated in Islam with fertility, agricultural prosperity, and related concepts, the color green often adorns religious buildings. So it is in the hundreds of mosques, shrines, and notables’ tombs in Harar, which in the 18th and 19th centuries was a nexus of Islamic learning in Africa. Instead of the green and turquoise tiles typically used elsewhere, architectural decoration here relies on painting the walls in vibrant greens, with nuances produced by the changing shadows cast throughout the day on the façades, domes, and carved stucco panels. Their pink details find reflection in the dress of Muslim Hararis, from this nursing student on her way to class to this follower of mysticism, who induces trances with his mesmerizing drum beats.
