Jimma served as the capital of the historic Islamic Kingdom of Jimma Abba Jifar, which flourished from the 1830s to 1932 and was known for its Islamic scholarship and trade networks. The city features the remarkable Jami Mosque and the historic palace of Abba Jifar II, showcasing traditional Ethiopian Islamic architecture with its distinctive wooden construction and Islamic decorative elements. Today, Jimma maintains a significant Muslim population and continues to be an important center of Islamic learning and culture in southwestern Ethiopia.