Asmara

Asmara

Eritrea's capital and most populous city, Asmara is located in the central region of the country. The city lies at an altitude of 2,325 meters, making it the sixth highest capital city in the world and the second highest in Africa. The city sits at the top of an escarpment that forms both the northwestern edge of the Eritrean Highlands and the Great Rift Valley in adjacent Ethiopia. Asmara’s site was first settled in 800 BC, with a population of between 100 and 1000 people. The city was later founded in the 12th century AD, after four villages united to live together in peace following long periods of conflict. Asmara became the capital of Eritrea during the Italian rule in the closing years of the 19th century. In July 2017, Asmara was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it the first modernist city to be fully inscribed on the list. The city is home to thousands of Art Deco, Futurist, Modernist and Rationalist buildings built during the Italian Eritrean period. Nicknamed "La piccola Roma", the city lies more than 2,000 meters above sea level, and the relatively cool climate made it an ideal place for building, with architects using a combination of Italian and local materials. Some famous landmarks include the Fiat Tagliero Building, Bar Zilli, opera houses, hotels and cinemas like Cinema Impero. The city's four major sites are the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Kidane Mehret Cathedral of the Catholic faith, the Enda Mariam Cathedral of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and the Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin Mosque of the Islamic faith.