Photo: Wanderlust

Asmara, the Eritrean capital, with its coffee culture, walkable streets, relaxed vibe and astonishing modernist architecture will get under your skin, says Edward Denison.

Source: Asmara, Eritrea: The ultimate urban experience

Asmara, at an altitude of 2325 meters above sea level, and its modernist architecture have received worldwide recognition, especially after it was included in the UNESCO world heritage list. Although its master plan was designed and the city constructed by Italian colonizers, it had been inhabited long before the advent of the Italians.

Source: Asmara: an ideal modernist city

Eritrea doesn’t top the bucket list of many travellers you’re likely to come across. The country is often dubbed Africa’s most secretive state and compared to the reclusive totalitarianism of North Korea. Last year’s peace deal with Ethiopia brought an end to Africa’s longest-running border conflict and helped Eritrea’s reputation among the international community.

Source: The eerie appeal of Eritrea’s colonial architecture – East Africa Monitor

Walking the central streets of Asmara, Eritrea, for the first time can be quite a puzzling experience for a foreigner. The capital city is full of These photographs document the legacy of colonial Italian Fascist architecture in the Eritrean city of Asmara.

Source: Photographs document the Italian Fascist architecture of Eritrea

In Asmara, Eritrea, preservationists are grappling with the tricky task of celebrating Futurism.

Source: When Gorgeous Architectural Landmarks Are Also Monuments to Fascism

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Source: Asmara: the Unesco-listed African city you’d never thought to visit

Eritrea – Asmara: a Modernist City of Africa

In an often-forgotten corner of the Horn of Africa, Eritrea’s capital boasts one of the world’s finest collections of early 20th-century architecture – with UNESCO awarding it World Heritage Site status earlier this year…

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