Ethiopia, The Oldest Country of Africa: The Afar, also known as the Danakil, Adali and Odali, is an ethnic group in the Horn of Africa, mainly residing in Eritrea, Djibouti and the Afar Region in Ethiopia. The Afar have acquired a reputation as a warrior tribe due to their involvement in various regional conflicts over the past centuries. They are closely related to the Omo and Beja peoples, their neighbouring communities.
The Afar people are known for their small handcrafted articles made from silver and bronze. They often use metal from used cartridges to create these beautiful pieces of art, and over time these artistic skills and hobbies of the Afar people took place as their cultural heritage.
The Afar people have a rich history and are considered the sister culture of the ancient Ta-Seti people. The Ta-Seti culture is among the founding branches of the eastern Bejaw or Beja People, while the Ta-Antyu (Puntite) Utjenet Culture is the progenitor of the Afari and Tigre cultures.
The Afar people have an economy based on livestock, keeping cows, sheep, and goats for meat and milk and donkeys, horses, and camels for transportation. A man’s wealth is often assessed by how many animals he has. The political system of the Afar people is based on tribal chiefs and warlords.
The Afar people are mostly the Muslim population, while religious and cultural beliefs are the most important and valuable part of their lives. They sometimes use a papyrus root called burri, which is mixed with milk to make a porridge. The Afar people’s culture and traditions have remained dedicated and responsible and stood the test of time, and today they continue to preserve and celebrate their heritage.
The Afar people predominantly speak the Afar language in Djibouti, Eritrea, and the Afar Region of Ethiopia as their mother tongue. According to Ethnologue, there are approximately 2.6 million Afar speakers worldwide.
