Asmara: A Modernist African City, a World Heritage Site in Eritre

Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, is a highland city located at an altitude of more than 2,000m. In 1890, Italy, the suzerain state of Eritrea, began to develop the city, and after 1935, many buildings were constructed in a unique architectural style called Italian rationalism. Even today, the city is highly regarded as a city with many modernist buildings from the early 20th century.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why Asmara: A Modernist African City is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner.Read this and you will definitely learn more about Asmara!

What is Asmara: A Modernist African City?

Located on the central plateau of Eritrea, Asmara was originally a small village, but became the capital of Italian Eritrea in 1900. It was intended to be a “second Rome,” and the modernist architecture created during the colonial period from 1893 to 1941 still remains to a large extent.Facilities throughout the city, including cinemas, stores, banks, religious buildings, commercial buildings, residences, and hotels, all built in the Italian Rationalist architectural style, are well preserved.

After World War II, the city became part of the Ethiopian-Eritrean Federation after the British occupation and became the capital of Ethiopia’s state, but in 1991 it became independent and became the capital. However, signs written in Italian still remain in the town, and the city still has a European-style townscape despite its location in Africa.

And Asmara is truly a “modernist African city,” with traffic signals, roads, and other features designed according to a proper plan.

For what reason is Asmara: A Modernist African City on the World Heritage List?

Asmara was recognized for the following

Registration Criteria (ii)
The point is that despite the Italian colonial architecture that remains, Asmara is embedded in the identity of the Eritrean people today.

Registration Criteria (iv)
The point is that the buildings in Asmara city have adopted many of the styles of Italian Rationalism, proving that Modernist architecture was applied to Africa at the beginning of the 20th century.

Conclusions and Impressions of a World Heritage Maniac

It is difficult to understand the term “modernist African city”, but it is valued for the fact that a modern city was built under Italian guidance at a stage when modernist architecture was never introduced in Africa. The city is also characterized by the fact that its landscape still remains and is a spiritual home for the people of Etruria.

However, although it may be hard to imagine a country called Etruria, it is actually a beer country, and Asmara lager beer is a popular brand that everyone loves.There is even a soccer team called “Asmara Brewery FC”.

*This is a study based on research conducted by a World Heritage enthusiast. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the medium.