Asmara (/æsˈmɑːrə/əs-MAHR-ə), orAsmera, is the capital and most populous city ofEritrea, in the country'sCentral Region. It sits at an elevation of 2,325 metres (7,628 ft), making it thesixth highest capital in the world by altitude and the second highest capital in Africa. The city is located at the tip of anescarpment that is both the northwestern edge of theEritrean Highlands and theGreat Rift Valley in neighbouringEthiopia. In 2017, the city was declared as aUNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preservedmodernist architecture.[3][4] According to local traditions, the city was founded after four separate villages unified to live together peacefully after long periods of conflict. Asmara existed as a major settlement for over half a millennium and enjoyed some importance as it stood on the trade route toMassawa. Asmara first rose to prominence during the 20th century, when it became capital ofItalian Eritrea.[5][6] Under Italian rule the city of Asmara experienced rapid urbanization and modernization, to the point that was calledPiccola Roma (Little Rome).
According to Eritrean Tigrinya oral traditional history, there were four clans living in the Asmera area on the Kebessa Plateau: the Gheza Gurtom, the Gheza Shelele, the Gheza Serenser and Gheza Asmae. These villages were frequently attacked by clans from the lowlands, until the women of each clan decided that to preserve peace the four clans must unite. The men accepted, hence the name "Arbate Asmera". Arbate Asmera literally means, in theTigrinya language, "the four (feminine plural) made them unite".[7]
The first mention of Asmara comes from a Latin itinerary during the reign of EmperorDawit I (1382–1411).[6]
Asmara, a small village in the nineteenth century, started to grow quickly when it was occupied by Italy in 1889.[8] GovernorFerdinando Martini made it the capital city ofItalian Eritrea in 1897.[9]
In the early 20th century, theEritrean Railway was built to the coast, passing through the town ofGhinda, under the direction ofCarlo Cavanna. In both1913 and1915 the city suffered only slight damage in large earthquakes.[10]
A largeItalian community developed the city.[11] According to the 1939 census, Asmara had a population of 98,000, of whom 53,000 were Italian. Only 75,000 Italians lived in all of Eritrea, thus making the capital city by far their largest centre.[12] (Compare this to theItalian colonization of Libya, where the settler population, albeit larger, was more dispersed.)
The capital acquired anItalian architectural look. Europeans used Asmara "to experiment with radical new designs".[13] By the late 1930s, Asmara was calledPiccola Roma (Little Rome).[14] JournalistJohn Gunther noted in 1955 that "the Italians built [Asmara] well, likeTripoli, with handsome wide streets, ornate public buildings, and even such refinements of civilization as a modern sewage system ... [Asmara] gives the impression of being a pleasant enough small city inCalabria, or evenUmbria.”[15] Nowadays more than 400 buildings are of Italian origin, and many shops still have Italian names (e.g.,Bar Vittoria,Pasticceria moderna,Casa del formaggio, andFerramenta).
The Kingdom of Italy invested in the industrial development of Asmara (and surrounding areas of Eritrea),[16] but the beginning ofWorld War II brought this to a halt.
UNESCO made Asmara a World Heritage Site in July 2017, saying "It is an exceptional example of early modernist urbanism at the beginning of the 20th century and its application in an African context".[17]
In 1952, the United Nations resolved to federate the former colony under Ethiopian rule. During the Federation, Asmara was no longer the capital city. The capital was nowAddis Ababa, over 1,000 kilometres (620 miles) to the south. In 1961, EmperorHaile Selassie I ended the "federal" arrangement and declared the territory to be the 14th province of theEthiopian Empire.[18] Ethiopia's biggest ally was the United States. The city was home to theUS Army'sKagnew Station installation from 1943 until 1977. TheEritrean War of Independence began in 1961 and ended in 1991, resulting in the independence of Eritrea. Asmara was left relatively undamaged throughout the war, as were the majority of highland regions. After independence, Asmara again became the capital of Eritrea.
The city lies at an elevation of 2,325 metres (7,628 feet)above sea level. It lies on north–south trending highlands known as theEritrean Highlands, an extension of theEthiopian Highlands. The temperate central portion, where Asmara lies, is situated on a rocky highland plateau, which separates the western lowlands from the eastern coastal plains. The lands that surround Asmara are very fertile, especially those to the south towards theDebub Region of Eritrea. The highlands that Asmera is located in fall away to reveal the eastern lowlands, characterized by the searing heat and humidity of the Eritrean salt pans, lapped by the Red Sea. To the west of the plateau stretches a vast semi-arid hilly terrain continuing all the way towards the border withSudan through theGash-Barka Region.
A view over AsmaraSolar traffic lights in a street in Asmara
Asmara has acool semi-arid climate (BSk) according to theKöppen climate classification.[19]It has year-round moderately warm weather, with recorded temperatures ranging between a minimum of −4.5 °C or 23.9 °F and a maximum of 31.0 °C or 87.8 °F. It has an average humidity of 51% and an UV-index of 6.Holdridge life zones system of bioclimatic classification put Asmara in or near the subtropical thorn woodland biome.[20] Rainfall patterns differ from month to month with highest precipitation in July and August, and lower precipitation in other months.[21]
Asmara has warm, but not hot summers and mild winters.[22] Due to its 2,325-metre (7,628 ft) altitude, temperatures are relatively mild for a city located not particularly far from the hotter surroundings in the country. This climate is characteristic of rainy, wet seasons and dry seasons.[23] Asmara averages about 518 mm (20.4 in) of precipitation annually.Frost, however, is extremely rare in the city. The long dry season of the year extends from September until around April, and a season of occasional showers occurs from April to June.[23] On average, about 60% of Asmara's annual precipitation is experienced during the months of July and August. In contrast, December to February are typically Asmara's driest months, where on average only 9.1 mm (0.36 in) of precipitation falls in the three months combined. Due to variable rainfall, Asmara's climate is also characterized by drought.[24] Several prolonged droughts in this region have occurred beginning in the 1960s and have recurred each decade since then.[24] During periods of drought, temperatures are high and little rainfall occurs. As temperatures in a region increase, the rate of evaporation of water from the soil also increases. These combined processes result in thedesertification of the soil. In order to obtain nutrient rich and moist soil for farming purposes, populations rely on deforestation to make use of the underlying ground.[24] The most serious environmental issues Asmara faces are deforestation and desertification. Other issues Asmara faces are soil erosion andovergrazing. All of these environmental issues producesoil degradation.[24]
Climate data for Asmara, Eritrea (1961–1990 normals, extremes 1903–2012)
The city shows off most early 20th-century architectural styles. Some buildings areneo-Romanesque, such as the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, some villas are built in a lateVictorian style. Art Deco influences are found throughout the city. Essences ofCubism can be found on the Africa Pension Building, and on a small collection of buildings. TheFiat Tagliero Building shows almost the height of futurism, just as it was coming into big fashion in Italy.
Asmara is known to be an exceptionally modern city, not only because of its architecture, but Asmara also had moretraffic lights thanRome did when the city was being built.[28] The city incorporates many features of a planned city.
Asmara has wide streets, restaurants,piazzas (town squares),bars andcafes while many of the boulevards are lined with palms trees. TheItalian inspired food and culture is very present and was introduced duringItalian Eritrea. Countless restaurants and cafes, serve high qualityespresso,cappuccinos andlattes, as well asgelato parlours and restaurants withItalian Eritrean cuisine.[29] Common dishes served from theItalian Eritrean cuisine are 'Pasta al Sugo e Berbere', which means "pasta with tomato sauce andberbere" (spice), "lasagna" and "cotoletta alla milanese" (milano cutlet).[30][29]
Asmara was listed as aUNESCOWorld Heritage Site in July 2017, becoming the first modernist city anywhere to be listed in its entirety.[31] The inscription taking place during the 41st World Heritage Committee Session.
The city has thousands ofArt Deco,futurist,modernist, andrationalist buildings, constructed during the period ofItalian Eritrea.[32][33][34][35][36][37] The city, nicknamed "La piccola Roma" ("Little Rome"), is located over 2,000 meters above sea level, and was an ideal spot for construction due to the relatively cool climate; architects used a combination of both Italian and local materials.
Hotel (Albergo) Italia, built 1889. The hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Asmara
The African pension.
Interior of Asmara post office.
The Embasoira built 1919 (Old Imperial hotel), celebrated 100 years in 2019.
The Casa degli Italiani restaurant.
The railway station in Asmara.
An old house in the European quarter.
Bar Zilli, architecturally modeled in accordance with theArt Deco movement in the 1930s.
The Historic Center of Asmara was placed on theWorld Monuments Fund's 2006 Watch List of 100 Most Endangered Sites. The listing was designed to bring more attention to the city to save the center from decay and redevelopment and to promote restoration.
Following CARP (a World Bank initiative on Cultural Heritage), theEuropean Union Delegation in Asmara has engaged into a Heritage Project pertaining to building's restoration and archive management. Launched in 2010 the EU/Eritrea Cultural Project was expected to be completed in 2014 (Pierre Couté – Edward Denison, Project Design Report, EUD Asmara 2009).
Asmara Brewery, built in 1939 under the name of Melotti, is located in the city and employs 600 people.[41] The brewery produces Asmara beer and other beverages like rum and gin. The brewery also owns and operates as a sponsor of the local football teamAsmara Brewery FC, also named "Asmara Birra" (translated "Asmara Beer").
After Eritrean independence, the roads of Asmara underwent extensive construction projects. Old roads were renovated and new highways were also built. There are five primary roads out of Asmara.[42]
As of 1999, there is a total of 317 kilometres of950 mm (3 ft 1+3⁄8 in) (narrow gauge) rail line in Eritrea. TheEritrean Railway was built between 1887 and 1932.[43][44] Badly damaged duringWWII and in later fighting, it was closed section by section, with the final closure coming in 1978.[45] After independence, a rebuilding effort commenced, and the first rebuilt section was reopened in 2003. As of 2009, the section from Asmara toMassawa was fully rebuilt and available for service.
Asmara has always been a national centre of education, and is home to many elementary and high schools. It was home to theUniversity of Asmara from 1958 until the university was shut down in 2006, following the opening of a university atMai Nefhi. During the period of Ethiopian Federation and annexation, the university was also linked with what was then the nation's largest tertiary institution,Addis Ababa University.
Asmara is divided into 13 districts or administrative areas. These districts are subdivided into North, North-West, North-East, South-East, South-West, East, West and Central areas. The thirteen districts (orNeous Zobas) are:
^AA.VV. (1994).Guida dell'Africa Orientale Italiana (in Italian). Milano: Consociazione Turistica Italiana. p. 199.
^Ambraseys, Nicolas; Melville, C.P.; Adams, R.D. (1994).The Seismicity of Egypt, Arabia and the Red Sea: A Historical Review. Cambridge University Press.ISBN0-521-39120-2.
^Roman Adrian Cybriwsky,Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2013, p. 19
^Semere, Soloman (23 December 2005). "Groundwater study using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in the central highlands of Eritrea".Hydrogeology Journal.14 (5):729–741.doi:10.1007/s10040-005-0477-y.S2CID55130364.
^abSemere, Soloman (23 December 2005). "Groundwater study using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in the central highlands of Eritrea".Hydrogeology Journal.14 (5):729–741.doi:10.1007/s10040-005-0477-y.S2CID55130364.
Peter Volgger and Stefan Graf: "Architecture in Asmara. Colonial Origin and Postcolonial Experiences", DOM publishers, Berlin 2017,ISBN978-3-86922-487-9
Stefan Boness: "Asmara – Africa's Jewel of Modernity". Jovis Verlag, Berlin 2016,ISBN978-3-86859-435-5 (photo book; German, English)
Stefan Boness: "Asmara – The Frozen City". Jovis Verlag, Berlin 2006. 96 pages.ISBN3-936314-61-6 (photo book; German, English)
Edward Denison, Guang Yu Ren, Naigzy Gebremedhin, and Guang Yu Ren,Asmara: Africa's Secret Modernist City (2003)ISBN1-85894-209-8
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