Asmara
Part junkyard, part memorial, the ruins of military vehicles from around the country have been dragged to this open field in the years since heavy…
Must-see attractions in Eritrea
Asmara
The Opera House, completed around 1920, is one of Asmara's most elegant early–20th-century buildings. It's free to have a look around during the resident…
Asmara
A block south of the Municipality Building, the Bowling Alley is one of the few genuine 1950s alleys left in the world. It was probably built for US…
Eritrea
Historians debate whether or not the ruins of Qohaito were once the inhabited walls of the ancient town of Koloe, a settlement that predated, but grew to…
Eritrea
Overlooking the harbour just north of the gates of the Dahlak Hotel is the Imperial Palace, the original iteration of which was built by the Turkish…
Eritrea
From 8am on Monday mornings, a small yard on the Nakfa road just before the edge of town comes alive with buyers and sellers from Keren and the…
House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari
Eritrea
The ancient House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari was built with magnificent soaring Ottoman-style windows on every side. Unfortunately they are particularly…
Asmara
A futurist departure from the art deco standard that defines most of the notable Italian-era buildings in Asmara, this former petrol station was…
Eritrea
Dankalia is the name of the narrow strip of land about 50km wide that stretches south of Massawa down to Djibouti, about 600km along the coastline. You…
Eritrea
Adulis was once the primary port of the Aksumite empire and a few impressive architectural remnants of this heritage remain. Most notable is the…
Eritrea
Though the large iron cross is Italian-era, legend claims that the peak towering over Senafe and the surrounding region has been a site of worship and…
Eritrea
What at first appears to be a stele and two small ruined buildings just off the dirt road is actually the sprawling site of a city that was once an…
Asmara
Duck up northeast to soak up the atmosphere of the Medebar Market. No doubt you'll be awestruck the minute you enter this mind-boggling place. It's an…
Asmara
This small village on the road to Keren is within the 25km limit from Asmara within which travellers can move freely without permits, and the foothills…
Eritrea
Green Island is 10 to 20 minutes from Massawa and is the most accessible place for decent snorkelling and tolerable beaches. It's certainly no Bora Bora,…
Eritrea
As you come over the causeway from Taulud Island, a broad sweep of white, arcaded palazzi (palaces) stretches out before you. On the corner you'll see the…
Eritrea
A grouping of more than 200 islands off the Red Sea coast, the Dahlak Archipelago is populated by around 2500 people of the Tigre and Afar tribes living…
Eritrea
At the centre of the Piazza degli Incendi (meaning 'Square of the Fire', after it was the scene of a great fire in 1885) is the Sheikh Hanafi Mosque. At…
Eritrea
This small Catholic shrine to the Virgin Mary is built into a baobab tree said to be 500 years old or more. The site is extremely popular with locals and…
Eritrea
A remarkable example of Turkish Ottoman architecture with its mashrabiyya (trellised) balcony, which allowed cool breezes to enter and the air inside to…
Eritrea
With a strong focus on produce and household goods, this weekly market set up along the city's dry riverbed is of more interest to tourists for the sights…
Eritrea
Tucked behind the grand mosque on the northern edge of town, this carefully tended cemetery is the final burial place of many soldiers who fought for the…
Eritrea
At the port entrance, this is a good example of a 17th-century house constructed of coral-block, which for centuries was the preferred local building…
Asmara
Opposite the Africa Pension Hotel, the gleaming Villa Roma is reminiscent of a Roman villa with its marble staircases, louvred shutters, curving…
Eritrea
On the far end of the northern coastal road from the causeway, you'll see the Banco d'Italia, a ramshackle copy of the 1920s original and a mishmash of…
Eritrea
Built during the Italian occupation, the columns and elegant facade look completely abandoned from the front but a wander inside reveals that several…
Eritrea
A huge square lined on all sides by houses with trellised balconies, finely carved wooden doors, and shutters of Turkish or Egyptian origin. Local…
Eritrea
At the foot of the mainland causeway is the massive monument to the Eritrean Struggle for Independence. Three huge tanks stand on a black marble base…
Asmara
North of Harnet Ave, the sprawling Central Market is one of Asmara's major attractions. The best time to visit is early on Saturday, when people come in…
Eritrea
This small Bilen ethnic group village is a fantastic place to see their traditional round thatched huts. It's 11km before Keren on the road from Asmara,…
Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral
Asmara
The Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral, just east of the centre, was built in 1938 and is a curious blend of Italian and Eritrean architecture. Its central…
Eritrea
In a square beside the Banco d'Italia is a rare example of a Turkish house with a domed roof, now partially restored and serving food and drinks out of a…
Asmara
A calm overgrown tract just outside the city centre; the quiet chapel on a hilltop above the cemetery also offers stunning views of the skyline.
Asmara
Asmara's strong point are its buildings, rather than its museums, but it's also worth popping your head into the National Museum, west of the former…
Asmara
The best place to start exploring the city is at the Former Governor's Palace, which stands majestically at the western end of Harnet Ave. Built in 1897…
Asmara
At the head of a large open square near the old market is the Great Mosque. Completed in 1938, this grand complex combines rationalist, classical and…
Asmara
Just off Harnet Ave near the EriTel building, the quirky Odeon Cinema and its attractive art deco exterior from the late 1930s is all but closed, so you…
Asmara
Strolling along Harnet Ave you'll be hard-pressed to miss Asmara's most iconic monument, the elaborate, brick-walled Catholic cathedral. Consecrated in…
Eritrea
Opposite the end of the causeway from the mainland is the Orthodox St Mariam Cathedral. While the building is lovely and the artwork speaks to the…
Asmara
Final resting place to generations of Italians, this lovely little cemetery is still used by the few immigrant families that remain. It's uphill off…
