Exploring Asmara – The UNESCO-Listed “City of Art Deco”

Asmara, the capital of Eritrea, is an utterly unique gem on the African continent, earning its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2017 as “Asmara: A Modernist African City.” Located on a high plateau, the city’s cool, temperate climate provided an ideal canvas for Italian colonial architects who, between 1893 and 1941, built a planned urban environment showcasing the best of 20th-century modernist movements. Walking through Asmara feels like stepping into a perfectly preserved museum of Art Deco, Rationalist, and Futurist architecture, giving the city its charming nickname, La piccola Roma (Little Rome).

The city’s central boulevard, Harnet Avenue (formerly Viale Mussolini and now known as Liberation Avenue), is the heart of this architectural wonderland. Here, grand civic and commercial buildings line the street, inviting visitors to partake in the popular tradition of the evening stroll, the passeggiata. The pinnacle of this unique style is the stunning Fiat Tagliero Building, an old service station designed by Giuseppe Pettazzi to look exactly like an airplane ready for takeoff, complete with two magnificent 70-foot cantilevered concrete wings. It is an extraordinary, functional piece of Futurist art and a mandatory stop for any visitor. Nearby, classic Art Deco cinemas like Cinema Impero and Cinema Roma still beckon with their retro facades and vintage charm, offering a cultural glimpse into the city’s past life.

The city’s religious structures are equally remarkable and illustrate a harmonious blend of styles. The impressive bell tower of the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary (built in Lombard Romanesque style) dominates the skyline and is often referred to by locals as “the Big Ben of Asmara.” Its presence stands in close proximity to the striking Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral, which integrates local traditional design, and the elegant Great Mosque of Asmara (Al Khulafa Al Rashidin Mosque), reflecting the cultural tolerance and religious diversity that has characterized Asmara for centuries.

To experience the city’s resourcefulness and vibrant local life, a visit to the Medeber Market is essential. Known as Asmara’s recycling market, Medeber is an open-air workshop where local artisans brilliantly repurpose scrap metal, old tires, and war remnants into household goods, tools, and sandals—a powerful display of ingenuity and resilience. A short drive away, the Tank Graveyard serves as a haunting, yet historically crucial, outdoor exhibition of the military vehicles, tanks, and artillery left behind from the 30-year War of Independence, reminding visitors of the hard-won freedom that underpins the city’s identity today.

From sipping a fine espresso in a coffee bar that hasn’t changed since the 1940s to admiring the sleek lines of its pioneering modernist buildings, Asmara is a captivating destination that offers a truly unique cultural and historical experience.