Eritrea

Eritrea: A Blend of Tradition and Modern Identity

Eritrea is a small country on the Red Sea coast of the Horn of Africa, bordered by Sudan to the northwest, Ethiopia to the south, and Djibouti to the southeast. It gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993 after a 30-year liberation struggle and has since developed one of the most centralized and internationally isolated governments in the world. The government’s record on political freedoms and human rights has been widely criticized, and the country has experienced significant emigration.

Tourism is minimal, and the government has not invested in developing the sector. Entry requirements are strict and permits for travel within the country are required beyond the capital. Despite these obstacles, the small number of travelers who do visit consistently report remarkable experiences that are genuinely unlike those available anywhere else in Africa or the Middle East.

Why Visit Eritrea

Asmara, the capital, is the primary reason to visit and is one of the most architecturally extraordinary cities in the world. During the Italian colonial period from 1890 to 1941, Eritrea was used as a testing ground for Italian modernist and futurist architectural ideas. The 1930s in particular saw an extraordinary construction boom in Asmara that produced one of the most concentrated collections of Art Deco and Modernist buildings outside Italy.

The Opera House, the Cinema Impero (built in 1937 and still operating), the FIAT Tagliero fuel station (a cantilevered building in the shape of an airplane without any supporting pillars, built according to local legend on a dare from the architect), the Banco d’Italia, the post office, the Bar Zilli, and hundreds of residential and commercial buildings make Asmara a city of extraordinary visual interest. UNESCO recognized the city as a World Heritage Site in 2017.

The historical sites of the surrounding highlands include the ruins of ancient Qohaito, a pre-Aksumite and Aksumite civilization site with stelae, a Sabean-era dam, and the remains of temples and buildings that are among the least-studied ancient sites in Africa.

Massawa on the Red Sea coast is a port city with a beautifully preserved Ottoman quarter of coral-built houses and vaulted archways. The city was heavily bombed during the Eritrean War of Independence and some buildings are still in ruins, giving parts of it a haunting quality. The nearby Dahlak Archipelago has exceptional diving on pristine coral reefs that have received very little diver pressure.

The Debre Bizen monastery, perched on a mountain above the Asmara highlands, is an ancient Ethiopian Orthodox Christian monastery dating to the 14th century, accessible by a half-day hike and with extraordinary views over the surrounding escarpment.

Eritrean Food and Culture

Eritrean food shares much with Ethiopian cuisine. Injera, the spongy sourdough flatbread made from teff grain, is the foundation of most meals, served with various stews (tsebhi) of meat, lentils, or vegetables. Zigni, a spiced beef stew, is a particular Eritrean favorite. The Italian colonial influence left a genuine pasta and pizza culture in the cities, and Asmara has excellent Italian-Eritrean restaurants that combine the two traditions.

The culture is divided between the highland Tigrinya-speaking Christians and the lowland Muslim communities speaking Arabic and Tigre among other languages. Both communities have deep and distinct traditions in music, dance, weaving, and ceremony.

Travel Tips

Entry to Eritrea requires a visa that must be obtained in advance from an Eritrean embassy, which is not straightforward from all countries. Travel within the country beyond Asmara requires additional permits. The official languages are Tigrinya, Arabic, and English. The Eritrean nakfa is the currency. The best time to visit is October to April, when temperatures on the highland plateau are cool and pleasant.