Welcome to Asmara!
The Eritrean capital of Asmara is a vibrant mix of Italian and African architecture and culture. It is by far the biggest and most important city of Eritrea and not just the administration center of the country but also the cultural center and the place where every tourist will arrive to the country.
Asmara, or Asmera, is the capital and most populous city of Eritrea, in the country's Central Region. It sits at an elevation of 2,325 meters (7,628 ft), making it the sixth highest capital in the world by altitude. 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 in neighbouring Ethiopia. In 2017, the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its well-preserved modernist architecture. The site of Asmera was first settled in 800 BC with a population ranging from 100 to 1000. The city was then founded in the 12th century AD after four separate villages unified to live together peacefully after long periods of conflict. Under Italian rule, the city of Asmara was made the capital of Eritrea in the last years of the 19th century.