Tag: ER – Asmara: a Modernist City of Africa

Decades of research and consultancy by UCL’s Professor Edward Denison and Guang Yu Ren helped in achieving UNESCO World Heritage Site status for Asmara, the capital of Eritrea.

Source: Helping secure Asmara’s UNESCO World Heritage status

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