ERITREAN MAJOR CITIES


ASMARA (CAPITAL)

The name Asmara comes from "Arbate Asmara," meaning "they (feminine) united the four." Oral tradition holds that there were four small villages in this area which were fighting with each other. The women of the villages got together and worked out a plan to end the fighting and unite the four as one town.

Asmara remained a small town until 1897. In that year, Ferdinando Martini, the first Italian civil governor of Eritrea, transferred the capital from Massawa to Asmara. Italian architecture prevails in the city center. The main avenues are shaded by palms and other trees. Bougainvillea flowers are everywhere. Both the top floor of Nyala hotel and the Cherhi bar offer vistas of the city.

Liberation Avenue is the center of city life. It extends from Government Administrative Center eastward to September First Stadium. Asmara Theater (built in 1918), the City Administration, the Ministry of Education, the Supreme Court, the Catholic Cathedral and the Central Bank are all on Liberation Avenue.

There are many beautiful churches and mosques in Asmara. The Catholic Cathedral on Liberation Avenue was constructed in 1922 in the Lombard style . The main mosque, Khulafa el Rashidin, was built in 1937 with Dekemhare travertine and Carrara marble. Inda Mariam, the main Orthodox church, was built between 1917 and 1920. Both Khulafa el Rashidin and Inda Mariam are a few blocks northeast of the Catholic Cathedral.

The former Ghibi or palace, residence of various colonial rulers, is across from the Government Administrative Center at the western end of Liberation Avenue. Reopened as the National Museum after Eritrea was liberated in May 1991, it was built by Ferdinando Martini, the first Italian civil administrator, in 1897. The extensive central market, north of the Catholic Cathedral, is worth visiting. There are stalls grouped in sections for grain, spices, baskets, pottery, and crafts carved from wood. Gold and silver jewelry can be found in the streets between the main mosque and the Government Administration Center.

Other points of interest are Asmara University and the Mai Jahjah fountain.

Massawa

The road from Asmara to Massawa in Semhar province offers many scenic panoramas along its twists and turns. You can see Debre Bizen, the famous Orthodox monastery, from the road. You will also pass through the town of Ghinda and a major citrus fruit production area.

Massawa became an urban center in ancient times. It is the largest natural deep water port on the Red Sea. If Asmara is an "Italian" city, Massawa is a "TurkoEgyptian" one. The city is divided into three parts: Batsa, Twalet and the mainland or Idaga. The old town and port are on the island of Batsa. This is joined to Twalet by a causeway. Another causeway connects Twalet to the mainland.

Coral blocks, carved stone lintels, and roshans (wooden windows which extend outwards into the street) predominate in Batsa's old town. The architecture reflects the impact of Turkish and Egyptian rule from 1500s until the late 1800s. The city was badly damaged by Ethiopian bombing and shelling from February 1990 to May 1991. Small boats will take you from Batsa to Sheikh Said Island (Isola Verde) to the southwest. It is a favorite spot for picnics. The Ministry of Marine Resources and some private business people offer boats for rental.

Twalet Island is to a greater extent a mixture of Turko-Egyptian and Italian architecture. The Ghibi or palace is near the causeway to Batsa. The foundations are from the 1500s but the building has been restored numerous times since then.

The airport and the main market are on the mainland directly across from the Twalet causeway. Beyond the airport in Hitumlo is the tomb of Hashim el Mirgani. North of the causeway is an industrial area. Gergussum beach to the north of Massawa on the mainland offers lots of white sand and warm water for sunbathing and swimming. In nearby Emberemi are the tombs of Sheikh el Amin and Muhammad ibn Ali, both major pilgrimage sites. In Emkulu there is a monument for those who died on the Salina salt flats in the 1977-1978 battle for Massawa.

Keren

Keren was the site of a major World War ll battle between the Italians and the British and there is a military cemetery there. The Fort was built during the Turkish period. Mariam de Arit and the tomb of Said Abu Bakr el Mirgani are both important religious sites near the city. Debre Sina, near the Elabered agricultural estate on the Asmara-Keren road, is another important monastery.

Agordet

Agordet, in the western lowlands, has several Turko-Egyptian buildings. It is the site of the tomb of Said Mustafa wad Hasan.

Barentu

Barentu, located in mountains surrounded by open plains, is the center of the Kunama area in Eritrea. Tessenei is a major border town. The Ali Gider agricultural estate is located nearby.

Asseb

Asseb is a modern city with very nice beaches. Part of the Danakil Depression, the hottest spot in the world, lies in northern Denkalia.

Nakfa

Nakfa was the symbol of Eritrean resistance during the difficult years of the late seventies and early eighties, is now being rebuilt.

General Information

One of the main roads from Asmara to Ethiopia passes through Debarowa,Mendefera and Adi Owala. Debarowa was the site of a major Japanese copper operation. The pilgrimage and festival of Sheikh Muzamil is held at Adi Itai, outside of Mendefera, at the end of the year.

The other main road from Asmara to Ethiopia passes through the towns of Dekemhare, Adi Qayeh and Senafe. There are archaeological ruins at Qohaito and Matera.

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