asmara walks

29/05/2024

23/12/2020

Relaxing under the Palm Trees of Asmara.

19/12/2020

The Bell Tower of Asmara Cathedral in construction, 1920s Eritrea

19/12/2020

Eritrea Asmara 1957

06/12/2020

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Eritrea

28/11/2020

Pictorial
Asmara today
Photo: Arefaine Natnael

21/11/2020

Asmara is little Roma

20/06/2020

ዘልኣለማዊን ክብርን ዝክርን ንሰማእታትና

12/06/2020

: Where everything is & Z r & z is &

08/05/2020

Hamasien Hotel - one of the oldest hotel in Asmara is 101 years old 1919

05/05/2020

Architecture

The city is known for its early 20th-century buildings, including the Art Deco Cinema Impero (opened in 1937 and considered by the experts one of the world's finest examples of Art Déco style building[24]), Cubist Africa Pension, eclectic Eritrean Orthodox Enda Mariam Cathedral and former Opera House, the futurist Fiat Tagliero Building, the neo-Romanesque Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Asmara, and the neoclassical Governor's Palace. The city is adorned by Italian colonial villas and mansions, one prominent example being the World Bank Building. Most of central Asmara was built between 1935 and 1941, so the Italians effectively managed to build almost an entire city in just six years.[25] At this time, the dictator Benito Mussolini had great plans for a second Roman Empire in Africa. War cut this short, but his injection of funds created the Asmara of today, which supposedly was to be a symbol that fascism worked and is an ideal system of government.[citation needed]

The city shows off most early 20th-century architectural styles. Some buildings are neo-Romanesque, such as the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, some villas are built in a late Victorian style. Art Deco influences are found throughout the city. Essences of Cubism can be found on the Africa Pension Building, and on a small collection of buildings. The Fiat Tagliero Building shows almost the height of futurism, just as it was coming into big fashion in Italy. In recent times, some buildings have been functionally built which sometimes can spoil the atmosphere of some cities, but they fit into Asmara as it is such a modern city.

Asmara is also the see of the archbishop of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, which became autocephalous in 1993. The archbishop was elevated in 1998 to the rank of Patriarchate of Eritrea, on a par with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

Asmara was known to be an exceptionally modern city, not only because of its architecture, but Asmara also had more traffic lights than Rome did when the city was being built.[25] The city incorporates many features of a planned city.

Asmara has wide streets, restaurants, piazzas (town squares), bars and cafes while the boulevards are lined with palms trees. The Italian inspired food and culture is present almost everywhere and was introduced during Italian Eritrea. Countless restaurants and cafes, serve espresso, cappuccinos and lattes, as well as gelato parlours and restaurants with Italian Eritrean cuisine.[26] Common dishes served from the Italian Eritrean cuisine are 'Pasta al Sugo e Berbere', which means "Pasta with tomato sauce and berbere" (spice), "lasagna" and "cotoletta alla milanese" (milano cutlet.) etc. [27][26]