According to current residents, Harlaa was once surrounded by enormous structures made of massive blocks, giving birth to the prevalent belief that it was once home to a legendary “City of Giants.”
In 2017, archaeologists and researchers discovered a long-lost city in the Harlaa region of eastern Ethiopia. It is known as the ancient ‘City of Giants,’ which was constructed around 1000 BCE. An international team of archaeologists made the discovery, including University of Exeter and Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Research and Conservation Authority researchers.
The settlement, located near Ethiopia’s second largest city, Dire Dawa, in the country’s east, comprised of buildings made of massive stone blocks, giving birth to the urban legend that giants once inhabited the area. Photographer: T. Insoll
Numerous legends and folklore feature gigantic cities constructed and inhabited by giants. Numerous megalithic structures from various epochs in history, as well as the legends of several societies separated by vast oceans, indicate the existence of giants on Earth.
According to Mesoamerican mythology, the Quinametzin were a race of giants charged with building the mythical city of Teotihuacán, which was constructed by the gods of the sun. Due to scientific advancements, variations on this theme can be found all over the world: enormous cities, monuments, and immense structures that were unthinkable for normal people to build at the time they were constructed.
In this region of Ethiopia, this is precisely the case. According to current residents, Harlaa was once surrounded by enormous structures made of massive blocks, giving birth to the prevalent belief that it was once home to a legendary “City of Giants.” They say that over the years, locals have uncovered coins from various countries as well as ancient ceramics. Also found were enormous construction stones that could not be moved by humans without the assistance of modern machinery.
Because of these factors, for a long time it was believed that the construction of these structures by ordinary humans was unthinkable. Numerous significant discoveries were discovered during the excavation of the ancient city.
The vanished metropolis of Harlaa
The specialists were astonished to discover antiquities from distant regions in an unexpected discovery. The discovery of objects from Egypt, India, and China by specialists demonstrates the commercial viability of the region.
The researchers also discovered a mosque from the 12th century, similar to those discovered in Tanzania, as well as an independent territory of Somaliland, a region that is not yet officially recognized as a country. According to archaeologists, the discovery demonstrates that there were historical connections between various Islamic communities in Africa during that time period, and
Professor of archaeology at the University of Exeter Timothy Insoll, who conducted the investigation, stated, “This discovery transforms our understanding of trade in an archaeologically neglected region of Ethiopia. Based on our findings, this location was the commercial hub of that region. The city was a wealthy, cosmopolitan hub for the production of jewelry, which was then distributed throughout the region and beyond. Residents of Harlaa were a blend of immigrants and natives who traded with others in the Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and possibly even the Arabian Gulf.
A city populated by giants?
According to the beliefs of the inhabitants of the Harlaa region, it could have only been constructed by giants. According to their logic, the scale of the stone blocks used to build these structures could only have been transported by enormous giants. It was also evident that these were not ordinary individuals due to the immense scale of the structures.
Following an examination of more than three hundred cadavers discovered in the local cemetery, archaeologists determined that the inhabitants were of average height and were therefore not considered giants. According to Insoll, who is also in charge of supervising the archaeologists working on the excavation, the tombs found contained the remains of young adults and adolescents. Everyone was of average height for the time period.
While acknowledging the data provided by the specialists, the indigenous people remain unconvinced by their findings and maintain that only giants could have constructed these enormous structures. It is not the first time that modern science has dismissed as mere folklore a legend that has existed for hundreds of years.
What is it about the inhabitants that makes them so confident that giants built the Harlaa structures? Did they make any observations throughout these years? There is no reason to believe they would fabricate or mislead about such a claim.
Even though the monuments provide no evidence of the existence of giants, this does not preclude the possibility that giants were involved in the construction of the site. Numerous individuals believe that these beings were not interred in the same location because they are considered to be large and potent entities. Others are opposed.
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