| Page Views: 4,126 Last Visit to Asmara: October, 2006 | Asmara - City of Surprises by janiebaxter - last update: Aug 19, 2007 |
Asmara is on the Eastern edge of Eritrea's highland plateau and has a great climate, clean and attractive streets and a reputation as one of Africa's safest cities.
The city started as 4 villages and was called Arbate Esmere. It grew because of the abundance of fresh water and was used by travellers as a stopover between the sea and the mountains. Eventually it became important as a trading post and when the Italians colonised Ethiopia they invested a lot in Asmara, leaving a legacy of art deco buildings as well as the old steam railway which runs between Massawa and Asmara.
After Italy's defeat in World War 2 Eritrea struggled to keep itself afloat economically so the United Nations decided in 1950 that it would be better off being Ethiopia's 14th province - a move that Eritrea has spent the last 50 years fighting against.
The conflict with Ethiopia finally ended in 2000 and it is easy to see why Eritrea wanted independance as the 2 countries are so different, both religiously and culturally.
There is plenty to see in Asmara and the surrounding areas, and it is a very pleasant city to stroll around and explore, with the faded art deco architecture and the cafes to stop for an expresso |
|  | Architecture The Fiat building is just one of the many Art Deco duildings around the city. Some, like this one, are in a good state of repair while others are sadly in need of restoration. The are many modern buildings too as well as the much older churches and the cathedral. |
Other Things to See The market in Asmara is worth a visit to see the food and the spice stalls, as well as the colourful fabrics.
Other places of interest include the mosque and the cathedral but the most interesting and unusual places I saw were the Tank Cemetery and the Recycling Yard | | | Spice Stall in the Market |
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> Add to your Custom Travel Guide [What's This?]
| Pros: | "Clean, easy to get around, lots to see" | | Cons: | "Lacks the edge and grittiness og other African cities" | | In A Nutshell: | "An African city that isn't African" |
janiebaxter's Asmara Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 4 - Photos: 4 | | | | Restaurants | Hotels & Accommodations
Tips: 1 - Photos: 1 | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
 janiebaxter's Asmara Travelogues | | | |
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 Comments for janiebaxter about Asmara | | | | |
lynnehamman Thu Apr 23, 2009 08:14 UTC
Another geat African page, Jane. In Cape Town we also saw so many interesting things made from re-cycled tin. Even hand-bags. And nice to see that a steam train is still running here. They are hard to find nowadays. | olja1234 Sun May 18, 2008 18:01 UTC
Very inticing page. Very good tips and photos. | sachara Fri Oct 5, 2007 23:15 UTC
Nice info about the recycling market and steam railway. | grets Sun Sep 23, 2007 19:45 UTC
How versitile the Africans are - I love the way they recycle stuff! |
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