📍 Bale, Oromia
Oromia's great pilgrimage shrine, its white conical domes standing since the 17th century.
The shrine of Sheikh Hussein is one of Oromia's major sites of cultural tourism. It sits on the border of the West Hararghe and Bale zones, about 180 kilometres from Robe along a good all-weather road passing through the small towns of Jarra and Dallo Sabro. The journey can be made directly from the Sof Umar caves or from Robe town.
The shrine is named after an ancient Muslim holy man, Sheikh Nur Hussein bin Malka, also known as bin Ibrahim, who was known for his religious teaching and extreme devotion. His birth is dated to the 12th century. According to legend Sheikh Hussein lived for 250 years - 50 of them at a place called Sakina, 130 spent travelling, and 70 at the shrine site itself.
The shrine has impressive white, cone-shaped 'gamos' - the domes of the tombs and mosques - scattered throughout the site, supposedly built some 360 years ago. The largest of them belonged to the Sheikh himself and stands in a walled compound.
There are two pilgrimages every year, in which tens of thousands of pilgrims take part.
Access passes for the holy shrine and heritage site are arranged, and a spiritual heritage guide and cultural interpreter accompanies you throughout.
The tour walks the historic gamos, the ancient mosques and the tombs inside the walled compound, then follows the sacred spring and the pilgrimage route as the pilgrims themselves walk it.
Hospitality and a cultural orientation from the community around the shrine are part of the visit, so the customs of the site are explained before you enter it.
Not included: voluntary shrine offerings and pilgrimage donations, rental of modest attire such as scarves and shawls, and guide tips and personal meals.
Travel with community-owned guides who know every trail and story. Your visit directly supports conservation and local livelihoods across the region — part of what makes Oromia’s abundance possible.
