View source for Asmara

{{Short description|Capital and largest city of Eritrea}}
{{about|the city}}
{{dist|Samara|Smara}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Asmara
| native_name        = 
| native_name_lang   = ti
| settlement_type    = [[Capital city]]
| image_skyline      = Asmara Montage.png
| imagesize          = 280px

| image_caption      = {{Ubl
  |'''Clockwise from top:'''
  |Cityscape, Sunset view over Asmara, [[Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Asmara|Church of Our Lady of the Rosary]], [[Fiat Tagliero Building]] sign, 23d ISCOE [[East Africa]] conference in Asmara 2019
  }}
| image_map          =
| flag_size          = 
| image_shield       = Asmara coats of arms with transparent background.png
| shield_size        = 80px
| motto              = 
| mapsize            = 260px
| map_caption        = Interactive map outlining Asmara
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| pushpin_map        = Eritrea#Africa
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| pushpin_label_position = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within Eritrea##Location within [[Africa]]
| coordinates        =
{{coord|15|20|09|N|38|56|28|E|region:ER-MA|display=title, inline}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Eritrea}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of Eritrea|Region]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Administrations of Asmara|Districts]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[Demonym]]
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name1  = [[Central Region (Eritrea)|Central]]
| subdivision_name2  = 13
| subdivision_name3  = Asmarino
| subdivision_name4  = 
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 800 BC
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date2  = 1890
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Mayor of Asmera
| leader_name        = Fshaye Haile
| leader_title1      = Mayor of Zoba
| leader_name1       = Fshaye Haile
| unit_pref          = 
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 45
| area_urban_km2     = 
| area_metro_km2     = 
| elevation_footnotes = <!--for references: use <ref> </ref> tags-->
| elevation_m        = 2325
| elevation_ft       = 7628
| population_total   = 1,073,000
| population_as_of   = 2023
| population_footnotes = <ref name="CIA">{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/eritrea/ |title=CIA – The World Factbook |access-date=2 September 2012}}</ref>
| population_rank    = [[List of cities in Eritrea|1st in Eritrea]]
| population_density_km2 = 19911
| population_urban   = 
| population_density_urban_km2 = 
| population_metro   = 1,258,001{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}
| population_density_metro_km2 = 
| population_blank1_title = 
| population_blank1  = 
| population_density_blank1_km2 = 
| population_note    = 
| postal_code_type   = <!-- enter ZIP Code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| postal_code        = 
| area_code          = 
| blank_name_sec1    = [[Human Development Index|HDI]] (2019)
| blank_info_sec1    = {{Ubl
  | {{increase}} 0.630<ref name="GlobalDataLab">{{cite web|url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/shdi/ERI/?levels=4&interpolation=0&extrapolation=0&nearest_real=0|title=Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab|website=hdi.globaldatalab.org|language=en|access-date=12 April 2021}}</ref>
  | {{color|#fc0|medium}} · [[List of Eritrean regions by Human Development Index|1st]]
  }}
| website            = 
| image_dot_map      = 
| dot_mapsize        = 
| dot_map_caption    = 
| dot_x              = 
| dot_y              = 
| leader_title2      = 
| leader_name2       = 
| timezone           = [[East Africa Time|EAT]]
| utc_offset         = +03:00
| blank4_name        = [[Köppen climate classification|Climate]]
| blank4_info        = [[semi-arid climate|BSk]]
| footnotes          = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
  |child = yes
  |Official_name = Asmara: A [[Modern architecture|Modernist]] African City
  |ID = 1550
  |Year = 2017
  |Criteria = Cultural: ii, iv
  |Area = 481 ha
  |Buffer_zone = 1,203 ha
  }}
| official_name      = {{lang|ti|ኣስመራ}}<br>
| image_flag         = 
}}
'''Asmara''' ({{IPAc-en|æ|s|ˈ|m|ɑː|ɹ|ə}} {{respell|əs|MAHR|ə}}), or '''Asmera''', is the capital and most populous city of [[Eritrea]], in the country's [[Central Region (Eritrea)|Central Region]]. It sits at an elevation of {{convert|2325|m|ft}}, making it the [[List of capital cities by altitude|sixth highest capital in the world by altitude]] and the second highest capital in Africa. The city is located at the tip of an [[escarpment]] that is both the northwestern edge of the [[Eritrean Highlands]] and the [[Great Rift Valley, Ethiopia|Great Rift Valley]] in neighbouring [[Ethiopia]]. In 2017, the city was declared as a [[World Heritage Site|UNESCO World Heritage Site]] for its well-preserved [[modernist architecture]].<ref>Mark Byrnes [http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/02/african-citys-unusual-preservation-legacy/1163/ An African City's Unusual Preservation Legacy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312081533/http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2012/02/african-citys-unusual-preservation-legacy/1163/ |date=12 March 2012 }} 8 February 2012 Atlantic Cities</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = Eritrea capital Asmera makes World Heritage list|url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40544406|access-date = 8 July 2017|date = 8 July 2017}}</ref> 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 to [[Massawa]]. Asmara first rose to prominence during the 20th century, when it became capital of [[Italian Eritrea]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.shabait.com/about-eritrea/art-a-sport/11121-arbate-asmara-the-origin-of-the-city- | title=Arbate Asmara: The origin of the city | access-date=14 January 2019 | archive-date=15 July 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715192204/http://www.shabait.com/about-eritrea/art-a-sport/11121-arbate-asmara-the-origin-of-the-city- | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite book|last=Pankhurst |first=Richard |year=1982 |title=History Of Ethiopian Towns |page=73 |publisher=Steiner |isbn=9783515032049 }}</ref> Under Italian rule the city of Asmara experienced rapid urbanization and modernization, to the point that was called ''[[:Simple:Piccola Roma|Piccola Roma]]''.

==History==
{{Main|History of Asmara}}
{{For timeline}}
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 the [[Tigrinya language]], "the four (feminine plural) made them unite".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Qi-KQchGks8C&pg=PA82 |title=Eritrea |first=Michael |last=Palin |publisher=[[Bradt Travel Guides]] Ltd |location=Chalfont St Peter, United Kingdom|isbn=978-1-84162-171-5|page=82|year=2007 }}</ref>

The first mention of Asmara comes from a Latin itinerary during the reign of Emperor [[Dawit I]] (1382–1411).<ref name="auto"/>

===Italian Asmara===
[[File:Asmara 1935 Panorama (2567806345).jpg|thumb|left|Asmara in 1935]]
[[File:Mappa di Asmara TCI 1929.jpg|thumb|280px|left|Map of Italian Asmara in 1929]]
Asmara, a small village in the nineteenth century, started to grow quickly when it was occupied by Italy in 1889.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dadfeatured.blogspot.com/2018/08/italian-asmara.html|title=Dadfeatured: ITALIAN ASMARA|date=6 August 2018}}</ref> Governor [[Ferdinando Martini]] made it the capital city of [[Italian Eritrea]] in 1897.<ref>{{cite book|author=AA.VV.|title=Guida dell'Africa Orientale Italiana|publisher=Consociazione Turistica Italiana|page=199|location=Milano|year=1994|language=it}}</ref>

In the early 20th century, the [[Eritrean Railway]] was built to the coast, passing through the town of [[Ghinda]], under the direction of [[Cavanna family#Early migration and diaspora|Carlo Cavanna]]. In both [[1913 Asmara earthquake|1913]] and [[1915 Asmara earthquake|1915]] the city suffered only slight damage in large earthquakes.<ref>{{cite book|last=Ambraseys|first=Nicolas|author-link=Nicholas Ambraseys|author2=Melville, C.P. |author3=Adams, R.D. |title=The Seismicity of Egypt, Arabia and the Red Sea: A Historical Review|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=1994|isbn=0-521-39120-2}}</ref>

A large [[Italian Eritreans|Italian community]] developed the city.<ref>Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLIO, USA, 2013, p. 19</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maitacli.it |title=Benvenuto sul sito del Maitacli |access-date=8 July 2011 |language=it|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110722041546/http://www.maitacli.it/|archive-date= 22 July 2011 |url-status= live}}</ref> (Compare this to the [[Italian colonization of Libya]], where the settler population, albeit larger, was more dispersed.)

The capital acquired an [[Italian modern and contemporary architecture|Italian architectural look]]. Europeans used Asmara "to experiment with radical new designs".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://washingtontimes.com/article/20070915/ENTERTAINMENT/109150018/1007 |title=Asmara useful for experimenting with radical designs for Europeans |newspaper=[[The Washington Times]] |date=15 September 2007 |access-date=8 December 2010}}</ref> By the late 1930s, Asmara was called ''Piccola Roma'' (Little Rome).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.fedoa.unina.it/1881/01/Santoianni_Progettazione_Architettonica.pdf|title=Italian architectural planification of Asmera (in Italian) p. 64-66}}</ref> Journalist [[John Gunther (journalist)|John Gunther]] noted in 1955 that "the Italians built [Asmara] well, like [[Tripoli, Libya|Tripoli]], 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 in [[Calabria]], or even [[Umbria]].”<ref name="Gunther">{{cite book
  | last = Gunther
  | first = John
  | title = Inside Africa
  | publisher = Harper & Brothers
  | year = 1955
  | page = 278
  | isbn = 0836981979}}</ref> 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'', and ''Ferramenta'').

[[Kingdom of Italy|The Kingdom of Italy]] invested in the industrial development of Asmara (and surrounding areas of Eritrea),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://researchomnia.blogspot.com/2015_04_01_archive.html|title=ITALIAN ERITREA INDUSTRIES|date=9 April 2015}}</ref> but the beginning of [[World 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".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mg.co.za/article/2017-07-14-00-asmara-the-capital-of-art-deco/|title=Asmara, the capital of Art Deco|date=14 July 2017}}</ref>

===Federation with Ethiopia===
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 now [[Addis Ababa]], over {{convert|1000|km|mi|abbr=off}} to the south. In 1961, Emperor [[Haile Selassie I]] ended the "federal" arrangement and declared the territory to be the 14th province of the [[Ethiopian Empire]].<ref name=grolier>{{cite book |title=Encyclopedia of Urban Cultures |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofur0000unse |url-access=registration |publisher=[[Grolier|Grolier Publishing Co.]] |year=2002|isbn=9780717256983 }}</ref> Ethiopia's biggest ally was the United States. The city was home to the [[US Army]]'s [[Kagnew Station]] installation from 1943 until 1977. The [[Eritrean 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.

==Geography==
The city lies at an elevation of {{convert|2325|m|ft|abbr=off}} [[above sea level]]. It lies on north–south trending highlands known as the [[Eritrean Highlands]], an extension of the [[Ethiopian 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 the [[Southern region (Eritrea)|Debub 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 with [[Sudan]] through the [[Gash-Barka Region]].

===Climate===
[[File:Asmara panorama, Eritrea.jpg|thumb|A view over Asmara]]
[[File:Solar traffic light Asmara, Eritrea.jpg|thumb|upright|Solar traffic lights in a street in Asmara]]
Asmara has a [[semi-arid climate|cool semi-arid climate]] (''BSk'') according to the [[Köppen climate classification]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.besttimetovisit.co.uk/eritrea/asmara-1220041/ |title=Climate Asmara – Temperature • Best time to visit • Weather |publisher=Besttimetovisit.co.uk |access-date=2020-06-08}}</ref>
It has year-round moderately warm weather, with recorded temperatures ranging between a minimum of {{convert|&minus;4.5|°C|1|disp=or}} and a maximum of {{convert|31.0|°C|1|disp=or}}. It has an average humidity of 51% and an UV-index of 6. [[Holdridge life zones|Holdridge life zones system of bioclimatic classification]] put Asmara in or near the subtropical thorn woodland biome.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/eritrea/asmara-climate | title=Yearly & Monthly weather - Asmara, Eritrea }}</ref> Rainfall patterns differ from month to month with highest precipitation in July and August, and lower precipitation in other months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.climate.top/eritrea/asmara/|title=Asmara Climate Asmara Temperatures Asmara, Eritrea Weather Averages|website=www.climate.top|accessdate=16 February 2024}}</ref>

Asmara has warm, but not hot summers and mild winters.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Semere|first1=Soloman|title=Groundwater study using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in the central highlands of Eritrea|journal=Hydrogeology Journal|date=23 December 2005|volume=14|issue=5|pages=729–741|doi=10.1007/s10040-005-0477-y|s2cid=55130364}}</ref> Due to its {{convert|2325|m|ft|adj=on}} 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.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite journal|date=23 December 2005|title=Groundwater study using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in the central highlands of Eritrea|journal=Hydrogeology Journal|volume=14|issue=5|pages=729–741|doi=10.1007/s10040-005-0477-y|last1=Semere|first1=Soloman|s2cid=55130364}}</ref> Asmara averages about {{cvt|518|mm|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.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> 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 {{cvt|9.1|mm|in}} of precipitation falls in the three months combined. Due to variable rainfall, Asmara's climate is also characterized by drought.<ref name="7 September 2015">{{cite journal|date=7 September 2015|title=Extracting and analyzing forest and woodland cover change in Eritrea based on Landsat data using supervised classification|journal=The Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Science|volume=19|issue=1|pages=37–47|doi=10.1016/j.ejrs.2015.09.002|last1=Ghebrezgabher|first1=Mihretab|doi-access=free}}</ref> Several prolonged droughts in this region have occurred beginning in the 1960s and have recurred each decade since then.<ref name="7 September 2015"/> 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 the [[desertification]] 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.<ref name="7 September 2015"/> The most serious environmental issues Asmara faces are deforestation and desertification. Other issues Asmara faces are soil erosion and [[overgrazing]]. All of these environmental issues produce [[soil degradation]].<ref name="7 September 2015"/>

{{Weather box
|location = Asmara, Eritrea (1961–1990 normals, extremes 1903–2012)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C = 29.0
|Feb record high C = 29.2
|Mar record high C = 30.5
|Apr record high C = 31.0
|May record high C = 30.0
|Jun record high C = 29.4
|Jul record high C = 29.4
|Aug record high C = 27.4
|Sep record high C = 27.2
|Oct record high C = 31.0
|Nov record high C = 26.7
|Dec record high C = 26.2
|year record high C =31.0
|Jan high C = 22.3
|Feb high C = 23.8
|Mar high C = 25.1
|Apr high C = 25.1
|May high C = 25.0
|Jun high C = 24.9
|Jul high C = 21.6
|Aug high C = 21.5
|Sep high C = 22.9
|Oct high C = 21.7
|Nov high C = 21.5
|Dec high C = 21.5
|year high C = 23.1
|Jan mean C = 13.8
|Feb mean C = 14.9
|Mar mean C = 16.3
|Apr mean C = 17.0
|May mean C = 17.6
|Jun mean C = 17.6
|Jul mean C = 16.3
|Aug mean C = 16.1
|Sep mean C = 15.7
|Oct mean C = 14.9
|Nov mean C = 14.0
|Dec mean C = 13.2
|year mean C = 15.6
|Jan low C = 4.3
|Feb low C = 5.1
|Mar low C = 7.5
|Apr low C = 8.7
|May low C = 10.2
|Jun low C = 10.5
|Jul low C = 10.8
|Aug low C = 10.7
|Sep low C = 8.6
|Oct low C = 8.1
|Nov low C = 6.6
|Dec low C = 4.8
|year low C = 8.0
|Jan record low C = -4.5
|Feb record low C = -1.6
|Mar record low C = -0.8
|Apr record low C = -0.2
|May record low C = 2.0
|Jun record low C = 3.4
|Jul record low C = 3.9
|Aug record low C = 3.7
|Sep record low C = 0.2
|Oct record low C = 1.0
|Nov record low C = -0.5
|Dec record low C = -1.4
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 3.7
|Feb precipitation mm = 2.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 14.6
|Apr precipitation mm = 33.4
|May precipitation mm = 41.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 38.5
|Jul precipitation mm = 174.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 155.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 15.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 15.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 20.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 3.4
|unit rain days = 1.0 mm
|Jan rain days = 0
|Feb rain days = 0
|Mar rain days = 2
|Apr rain days = 4
|May rain days = 5
|Jun rain days = 4
|Jul rain days = 13
|Aug rain days = 12
|Sep rain days = 2
|Oct rain days = 2
|Nov rain days = 2
|Dec rain days = 1
|Jan humidity = 54
|Feb humidity = 48
|Mar humidity = 46
|Apr humidity = 49
|May humidity = 48
|Jun humidity = 48
|Jul humidity = 76
|Aug humidity = 80
|Sep humidity = 59
|Oct humidity = 63
|Nov humidity = 66
|Dec humidity = 61
|year humidity = 58.2
|Jan sun = 291.4
|Feb sun = 260.4
|Mar sun = 275.9
|Apr sun = 264.0
|May sun = 257.3
|Jun sun = 219.0
|Jul sun = 151.9
|Aug sun = 158.1
|Sep sun = 213.0
|Oct sun = 272.8
|Nov sun = 276.0
|Dec sun = 282.1
|year sun = 2921.9
|Jan percentsun = 84
|Feb percentsun = 81
|Mar percentsun = 75
|Apr percentsun = 71
|May percentsun = 65
|Jun percentsun = 57
|Jul percentsun = 38
|Aug percentsun = 41
|Sep percentsun = 59
|Oct percentsun = 76
|Nov percentsun = 82
|Dec percentsun = 82
|year percentsun = 67
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web
|url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/E1/63021.TXT
|title = Asmara Climate Normals 1961–1990
|publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
|access-date = 13 January 2015}}</ref>
|source 2 = Meteo Climat (extremes)<ref name = meteoclimat>
{{cite web 
|url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/index.php?page=stati&id=1834
|title = Station Asmara
|publisher = Meteo Climat 
|language = fr 
|access-date = 22 October 2016}}</ref>
|date=January 2012
}}

==Culture==
[[File:Asmara, museo nazionale, ingresso.JPG|thumb|upright|The [[National Museum of Eritrea|Eritrean national museum]] in Asmara]]
[[File:Tour of Asmara Cycling race, Asmara Eritrea.jpg|thumb|[[Tour of Eritrea]] cycling competition in Asmara, Eritrea]]

The city is home to the [[Eritrean National Museum]]. The city is often the starting point of the [[Tour of Eritrea]] cycling competition.

==Architecture==
The city is known for its early 20th-century buildings, including the [[Art Deco]] [[Cinema Impero]] (opened in 1937 and considered by the experts one of the world's finest examples of Art Déco style building<ref>Gianluca Rossi, ''Renzo Martinelli inviato de La Nazione'', 2009.</ref>), Cubist Africa Pension, eclectic Eritrean Orthodox [[Enda Mariam Cathedral, Asmara|Enda Mariam Cathedral]] and former [[Opera House]], the [[futurist architecture|futurist]] [[Fiat Tagliero Building]], the [[neo-Romanesque architecture|neo-Romanesque]] [[Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Asmara]], and the [[neoclassical architecture|neoclassical]] [[Governor's Palace (Asmara)|Governor's Palace]]. The city is adorned by Italian [[Colonisation|colonial]] [[villa]]s and [[mansions]], one prominent example being the [[World Bank Building, Asmara|World Bank Building]]. Most of central Asmara was built between 1935 and 1941, so the [[Italians]] effectively managed to build almost an entire city in just six years.<ref name="Reviving Asmara">{{cite news   |title=Reviving Asmara    |publisher=[[BBC Radio 3]] |date=19 June 2005  |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/sundayfeature/pip/kg9k6/  |access-date=30 August 2006}}</ref> At this time, the dictator [[Benito Mussolini]] had great plans for a second [[Roman Empire]] in Africa. War cut this short, but his injection of funds created the Asmara of today, which supposedly was to be a symbol to the colonial [[fascism]] during that period of time.

The city shows off most early 20th-century architectural styles. Some buildings are [[neo-Romanesque architecture|neo-Romanesque]], such as the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, some villas are built in a late [[Victorian Architecture|Victorian]] style. Art Deco influences are found throughout the city. Essences of [[Cubism]] can be found on the Africa Pension Building, and on a small collection of buildings. The [[Fiat 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 more [[traffic lights]] than [[Rome]] did when the city was being built.<ref name="Reviving Asmara"/> The city incorporates many features of a planned city.

===Restaurants, bars, cafes===
Asmara has wide streets, restaurants, [[piazza]]s (town squares), [[Bar (establishment)|bar]]s and [[Coffeehouse|cafes]] while many of the boulevards are lined with palms trees. The [[Italy|Italian]] inspired food and culture is very present and was introduced during [[Italian Eritrea]]. Countless restaurants and cafes, serve high quality [[espresso]], [[cappuccino]]s and [[latte]]s, as well as [[gelato]] parlours and restaurants with [[Italian Eritrean cuisine]].<ref name="youtube.com"/> Common dishes served from the [[Italian Eritrean cuisine]] are 'Pasta al Sugo e Berbere', which means "pasta with tomato sauce and [[berbere]]" (spice), "[[lasagna]]" and "cotoletta alla milanese" (milano cutlet).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldtravelguide.net/guides/africa/eritrea/food-and-drink/ |title=Food and drink in Eritrea |publisher=Worldtravelguide.net |access-date=2020-06-08}}</ref><ref name="youtube.com">{{Citation|last=lorenzopinnavideo|title=Asmara, la più bella città africana|date=7 June 2011|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlR5JBQLDXk| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/OlR5JBQLDXk| archive-date=2021-12-11 | url-status=live|access-date=18 September 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

{{Gallery
|title=
|width=200 | height=170
|align=left
|File:Cinema Roma, Asmara, Eritrea (30660000812).jpg
|The cafe and bar at the old Cinema Roma
|File:Sweet Asmara Caffe (8351473807).jpg
|A typical cafe in Asmara selling [[panettone]]
|File:Macchina Gaggia.jpg
|A vintage [[Gaggia]] [[espresso]] machine in a [[Bar (establishment)|bar]] in [[Eritrea]]. Vintage Italian machinery is common in most Asmara [[Coffeehouse|cafes]].
}}
{{clear}}

==UNESCO World Heritage Site==
Asmara was listed as a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]] in July 2017, becoming the first modernist city anywhere to be listed in its entirety.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/jul/08/the-italian-architecture-that-shaped-new-world-heritage-site-asmara|title=The Italian architecture that shaped new world heritage site Asmara|first=Oliver|last=Wainwright|work=The Guardian|date=8 July 2017|access-date=9 July 2017}}</ref> The inscription taking place during the 41st World Heritage Committee Session.

The city has thousands of [[Art deco architecture|Art Deco]], [[futurist]], [[modernist]], and [[Rationalism (architecture)|rationalist]] buildings, constructed during the period of [[Italian Eritrea]].<ref name="auto1">{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1550/|title=Asmara: A Modernist African City|first=UNESCO World Heritage|last=Centre|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://qz.com/africa/1026237/eritreas-asmara-is-now-a-unesco-world-heritage-site-and-should-boost-tourism/|title=Eritrea's picturesque capital is now a World Heritage site and could help bring it in from the cold|first=Tom Gardner|last=Commentary|website=Quartz Africa|date=11 July 2017 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.africanews.com/2017/07/12/eritrea-capital-asmara-makes-unesco-world-heritage-list/|title=Eritrea capital, Asmara, makes UNESCO World Heritage list &#124; Africanews|access-date=27 April 2020|archive-date=4 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804142653/https://www.africanews.com/2017/07/12/eritrea-capital-asmara-makes-unesco-world-heritage-list/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/eritreas-capital-added-to-unesco-world-heritage-site-list/a-39609655|title=Eritrea's capital added to UNESCO World Heritage site list &#124; DW &#124; 08.07.2017|website=DW.COM}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.apollo-magazine.com/eritrea-italy-modernist-architecture/|title=The modernist marvels of Eritrea|date=19 November 2019|website=Apollo Magazine}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/design/asmara-eritrea-art-deco-unesco-architecture-italy-little-rome-world-heritage-a8040871.html|title=Exploring Eritrea's UNESCO certified Art-Deco wonderland|date=9 November 2017|website=The Independent}}</ref> 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.

Some notable buildings include the [[Fiat Tagliero Building]], [[Bar Zilli]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1550/|title=Asmara&#x3a; A Modernist African City|first=UNESCO World Heritage|last=Centre|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|accessdate=16 February 2024}}</ref> opera houses, hotels, and cinemas, such as the [[Cinema Impero]].

A statement from UNESCO read:

{{cquote|It is an exceptional example of early modernist urbanism at the beginning of the 20th century and its application in an African context.|200|50|[[UNESCO]]<ref name="auto1"/>}}

{{Gallery
|title=Some buildings included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list for Asmara:
|width=220 | height=190
|align=center
|File:Asmara, teatro d'opera, 02.JPG
|[[Asmara's Opera|Teatro d'Opera]], the opera house of Asmara.
|File:Asmara University Eritrea.jpg
|A building at the [[University of Asmara]].
|File:Asmara, ambasciata italiana (villa roma).JPG
|Villa Roma, [[Italy|Italian]] embassy.
|File:Fiat tagliero, 07,0.JPG
|[[Fiat Tagliero Building|The Fiat Tagliero Building.]]
|File:Asmara, albergo italia, esterno 01.JPG
|Hotel (Albergo) Italia, built 1889. The hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Asmara
|File:Asmara, africa pension 01.JPG
|The African pension. 
|File:Asmara, ufficio postale, interno 01.JPG
|Interior of Asmara post office.
|File:Embasoira hotel Asmara, Eritrea.jpg
|The Embasoira built 1919 (Old Imperial hotel), celebrated 100 years in 2019.
|File:Casa degli italiani restaurant Asmara, Eritrea.jpg
|The Casa degli Italiani restaurant.
|File:Bf Asmara Gleisseite.JPG
|The railway station in Asmara.
|File:An old house in the European quarter built during Italian Eritrea in the early 19th century in Asmara, Eritrea.jpg
|An old house in the European quarter.
|File:Asmara, bar zilli 02.JPG
|[[Bar Zilli]], architecturally modeled in accordance with the [[Art Deco]] movement in the 1930s.
}}

The Historic Center of Asmara was placed on the [[World 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), the [[European 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).

==Religion==
[[File:Catholic Cathedral.jpg|thumb|[[Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Asmara]]]]
Four big landmarks of the city are the [[Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Asmara|Church of Our Lady of the Rosary]] and the [[Kidane Mehret Cathedral, Asmara|Kidane Mehret Cathedral]] of the Catholic faith (the former of Latin and the latter of Coptic rite), the [[Enda Mariam Cathedral, Asmara|Enda Mariam Cathedral]] of the [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]], and the [[Great Mosque of Asmara|Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin Mosque]] of the Islamic faith. The population in the [[Central Region (Eritrea)|Central Region]], which contains Asmara, is 89 percent Christian (almost 84 percent Orthodox, 4 percent Roman Catholic, and more than 1 percent Protestant) and 5 percent Muslim.<ref name="Georgestown">{{Citation | editor-last = Hsu | editor-first = Becky | title = Eritrea: Religious Distribution| url=http://www9.georgetown.edu/faculty/bh297/HsuEritrea.pdf | page = 3 | access-date = 22 December 2011}}</ref>

Asmara is also the [[episcopal see|see]] of the archbishop of the [[Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church]], which became [[autocephalous]] in 1993. The archbishop was elevated in 1998 to the rank of [[Patriarchate]] of Eritrea, on a par with the [[Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church]].

==Economy==
[[Eritrean Airlines]], the [[Eritrean Telecommunications Corporation]], and other companies are headquartered in the city.<ref>{{citation|title= Welcome to the Telecommunication Internet Service Provider – TSEiNET|url= http://www.tse.com.er/|access-date= 8 July 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110720133222/http://www.tse.com.er/|archive-date= 20 July 2011|url-status= dead|df= dmy-all}}</ref> The country's national television station [[Eri-TV]] has many studios located in various areas in the capital.

[[Asmara Brewery]], built in 1939 under the name of Melotti, is located in the city and employs 600 people.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://asmarabrewery.com/factory/ |title=Asmara Brewery |publisher=Asmara Brewery |access-date=2020-06-08}}</ref> 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 team [[Asmara Brewery FC]], also named "Asmara Birra" (translated "Asmara Beer").

==Transport==
[[File:Train Asmara Eritrea.jpg|thumb|upright=1.15|Steam train outside Asmara on the [[Eritrean Railway]]]]

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.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-its-like-inside-asmara-one-of-africas-most-isolated-capitals-1445390907|title=What It's Like Inside Asmara, One of Africa's Most Isolated Capitals|last=Stevis|first=Matina|date=21 October 2015|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|issn=0099-9660|access-date=14 November 2016}}</ref>

[[Asmara International Airport]] serves the city with many international flights. [[Massawa International Airport]] is an alternative airport nearby.

As of 1999, there is a total of 317 kilometres of {{Track gauge|950 mm}} (narrow gauge) rail line in Eritrea. The [[Eritrean Railway]] was built between 1887 and 1932.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1KBP7QbalX0C&q=eritrean+railroad+km&pg=PA379|title=Africa South of the Sahara 2003|first=Europa Europa|last=Publications|date=31 October 2002|publisher=Psychology Press|isbn=9781857431315|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/eritrea07.htm|title=Eritrean Railway Revival|website=www.internationalsteam.co.uk}}</ref> Badly damaged during [[WWII]] and in later fighting, it was closed section by section, with the final closure coming in 1978.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trainweb.org/italeritrea/|title=Italian-Eritrean Railway and Tramway|website=www.trainweb.org}}</ref> After independence, a rebuilding effort commenced, and the first rebuilt section was reopened in 2003. As of 2009, the section from Asmara to [[Massawa]] was fully rebuilt and available for service.

==Education==
Asmara has always been a national centre of education, and is home to many elementary and high schools. It was home to the [[University of Asmara]] from 1958 until the university was shut down in 2006, following the opening of a university at [[Mai 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]].

===Universities and colleges===
*[[University of Asmara]] (1958-2006)
*[[Eritrea Institute of Technology]]

===Primary and secondary schools===
==== International schools ====
*[[Asmara International Community School]] – Anglophone international school
*[[Italian School of Asmara]] – Italian primary school with a [[Montessori education|Montessori]] department (1903-2020) 
'''Secondary Schools''' 

* Shek Ibrahim Sultan  Secondary School 
* Red sea Secondary School
* Barka Secondary School
* Limeat Secondary School 
* Halay Secondary School 
* Hafeshawi Secondary School 
* Isaac Tewoldemedhn High School 
* Semaetat Secondary School

==Districts==
{{main|Administrations of Asmara}}
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 (or ''Neous Zobas'') are:

{{Div col}}
;North
*Akhria District
*Abbashaul District
*Edaga Hamus District
;North-East
*Arbaete Asmara District
;North-West
*Mai Temenai District
*Paradiso District
;South-West
*Sembel District
;South-East
*Kahawuta District
*Godaif District
;Central
*Maakel Ketema District
;West
*Tiravolo District
*Tsetserat District
;East
*Gheza Banda District
*Gejeret District

{{Div col end}}

==Notable people==
*[[Asmeret Asefaw Berhe]], soil biogeochemist and Director of the Office of Science at the US Department of Energy
*[[Abraham Afewerki]], popular singer, songwriter and music producer
*[[Isaias Afwerki]], President of [[Eritrea]]
*[[Tsehaytu Beraki]], popular Eritrean musician
*[[Yemane Barya]], famous Eritrean singer and musician 
*[[Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus]], 8th Director-General of the [[World Health Organization]]
*[[Remo Girone]], Italian film and stage actor
*[[Biniam Girmay]], Professional bicycle rider.
*[[Bruno Lauzi]], Italian singer-songwriter, poet and writer
*[[Dawit Isaak]], Swedish-Eritrean journalist
*[[Meb Keflezighi]], Eritrean-born American long-distance runner
*[[Gianfranco Rosi (director)|Gianfranco Rosi]], Italian film director and documentarian
*[[Mehari Shinash]], Eritrean footballer
*[[Mussie Zerai]], Roman Catholic priest and activist for the [[right of asylum]]

==See also==
{{Portal|Eritrea}}
*[[CH-Star]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
{{See also|Timeline of Asmara#Bibliography|l1=Bibliography of the history of Asmara}}
*Peter Volgger and Stefan Graf: "Architecture in Asmara. Colonial Origin and Postcolonial Experiences", DOM publishers, Berlin 2017,{{ISBN|978-3-86922-487-9}}
*Stefan Boness: "Asmara – Africa's Jewel of Modernity". Jovis Verlag, Berlin 2016, {{ISBN|978-3-86859-435-5}} (photo book; German, English)
*Stefan Boness: "Asmara – The Frozen City". Jovis Verlag, Berlin 2006. 96 pages. {{ISBN|3-936314-61-6}} (photo book; German, English)
*Edward Denison, Guang Yu Ren, Naigzy Gebremedhin, and Guang Yu Ren, ''Asmara: Africa's Secret Modernist City'' (2003) {{ISBN|1-85894-209-8}}
*Gianluca Rossi, ''Renzo Martinelli inviato de "La Nazione"'', 2009, {{ISBN|978-88-7255-356-5}}

==External links==
*[http://www.der.org/films/asmara-eritrea.html Asmara, Eritrea] Documentary Film about the city by filmmaker Caterina Borelli
*[http://www.asmera.nl/asmara.htm History of Asmara]
*[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1550 Asmara inscription in UNESCO]

{{Sister bar|auto=y}}
{{Asmara}}
{{List of African capitals}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Asmara| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Central region (Eritrea)]]
[[Category:Regional capitals in Eritrea]]
[[Category:Populated places in Eritrea]]
[[Category:Capitals in Africa]]
[[Category:Art Deco]]
[[Category:Modernist architecture in Eritrea| ]]
[[Category:World Heritage Sites in Eritrea]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 8th century BC]]