Sheikh Hussein is a village in south eastern Ethiopia, located in the Bale Province in Ethiopia. The village is name after what, in Ethiopian Muslim eyes, is the most sacred place: the tomb of the thirteenth century Sheikh Hussein, who introduced Islam to the Sidamo people who had lived in the area at the time, and is said to have performed many miracles. A number of these miracles have been recorded in a hagiography published in Cairo in the 1920s, entitled Rabi` al-Qulub. It has continued to be the destination of approximately 50,000 pilgrims twice a year during the Muslim months of Hajj and Rabi` al-Awwal.

Most Pilgrimages come from Ethiopia's remote villages after an arduous journey to pray at the shrine of Sheikh Hussein. Some will travel by donkey or mule, but most will walk on barefoot - for up to 6 weeks or more to reach this sacred place. During 700 years, since the Sheikh's death, the pilgrimage has evolved into an amalgam of Saint Cult and ancient ritual.
By tradition, the departure of the pilgrims from their remote villages is governed by the waxing and waning of the moon.

Tour program can be arranged with Bale Itinerary or upon request.