Asmara, the modernist city on the World Heritage List

Asmara (ኣስመራ), Eritrea's capital, sits on the highland plateau at about 2,300 metres above sea level. In 2017 UNESCO added it to the World Heritage List as "Asmara: A Modernist African City" - the first modernist city to be listed in its entirety.

Why it is special

Most of central Asmara was built in the late 1930s, in a burst of construction that gave the city a remarkable collection of buildings in the styles of the time: rationalist, art deco, futurist and more. Unlike many cities, Asmara kept them. Walking its streets today is like walking through an open-air museum of early twentieth-century architecture - still lived in, still in daily use.

Buildings to look for

• Fiat Tagliero (1938) - a former petrol station whose concrete wings stretch out like an aeroplane's; the city's most famous building.
• Cinema Impero (1937) - an art deco cinema on the main avenue, with a striking façade and interior.
• The Catholic Cathedral - with its tall bell tower, a landmark on the main avenue.
• Enda Mariam - the Orthodox cathedral, decorated with mosaics.
• The Great Mosque of Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin - with its minaret rising over the market district.

Life on the avenue

Harnet Avenue, the main boulevard lined with palm trees, is the heart of the city. The evening passeggiata - an unhurried walk up and down the avenue - cafés serving macchiato and pastries, and bicycles everywhere give Asmara a calm, unhurried feel that visitors often remember most.

Visiting

Asmara's highland climate is mild all year. Many visitors combine it with the port city of Massawa on the Red Sea, a few hours' drive down the escarpment.