Asmara

Did You Know?

• Asmara is the see of the archbishop of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which became autocephalous in 1993 and was elevated to a patriarchate in 1998.
• The Eritrean Railway, built between 1887 and 1932, was badly damaged during WWII and later fighting, closed section by section by 1978, and the Asmara–Massawa section was fully rebuilt and reopened by 2009.

History

According to Tigrinya oral tradition, four clans—Gheza Gurtom, Gheza Shelele, Gheza Serenser, and Gheza Asmae—lived on the Kebessa Plateau and were frequently attacked by lowland clans. The women of each clan decided the four must unite for peace, and the men agreed, giving the settlement the name "Arbate Asmera," meaning "the four made them unite" in Tigrinya. The first written mention of Asmara appears in a Latin itinerary from the reign of Emperor Dawit I (1382–1411).

Its importance grew in the late 19th century when it became the capital of Bahr Negash Gerada Zeray, later passing to regional chiefs such as Ras Hailu Teweledemedhin, Ras Woldemichael Solomon, and Ras Alula before Italian occupation. Italian forces occupied the town in 1889 with the cooperation of local chiefs, including Aberra Kasa Hailu. Governor Ferdinando Martini made Asmara the capital of Italian Eritrea in 1897. The Eritrean Railway reached the coast through Ghinda under Carlo Cavanna in the early 20th century.

Earthquakes in 1913 and 1915 caused only slight damage. By the 1939 census, Asmara had 98,000 residents, 53,000 of whom were Italian.

Geography

Asmara lies at 2325 m above sea level on the north–south trending Eritrean Highlands, an extension of the Ethiopian Highlands. The temperate central area occupies a rocky highland plateau separating the western lowlands from the eastern coastal plains. Surrounding lands are fertile, especially south toward the Debub Region. To the east, the highlands drop to the hot, humid salt pans along the Red Sea; to the west stretches semi-arid hilly terrain extending to the Sudan border through the Gash-Barka Region. The city has a cool semi-arid climate (BSk) under the Köppen classification, with recorded temperatures from −4.5 °C to 31.0 °C, average humidity of 51%, and an UV-index of 6. Rainfall peaks in July and August.

Architecture

Asmara is known for its early 20th-century buildings, most constructed between 1935 and 1941 under Italian rule. Notable examples include the Art Deco Cinema Impero (opened 1937), the Cubist Africa Pension, the eclectic Eritrean Orthodox Enda Mariam Cathedral, the former Opera House, the futurist Fiat Tagliero Building, the neo-Romanesque Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, and the neoclassical Governor's Palace. Italian colonial villas and mansions, such as the World Bank Building, also dot the city.

The architecture spans multiple styles: neo-Romanesque, late Victorian, Art Deco, Cubism, and futurism. Asmara was a planned city with wide streets, piazzas, bars, and cafes; many boulevards are lined with palm trees. It had more traffic lights than Rome at the time of its construction. Italian influence remains strong in local cuisine, with restaurants serving espresso, cappuccinos, gelato, and dishes like pasta al sugo e berbere, lasagna, and cotoletta alla milanese.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Asmara was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2017 during the 41st World Heritage Committee Session, becoming the first modernist city listed in its entirety. The city contains thousands of Art Deco, futurist, modernist, and rationalist buildings from the Italian Eritrea period. Its high elevation provided a cool climate ideal for construction, and architects used both Italian and local materials. Notable structures include the Fiat Tagliero Building, Bar Zilli, opera houses, hotels, and cinemas such as the Cinema Impero. The Historic Center of Asmara had been placed on the World Monuments Fund's 2006 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites to promote restoration. The European Union Delegation in Asmara launched a Heritage Project in 2010, expected to be completed in 2014, focusing on building restoration and archive management.