Despite a wealth of archaeological ruins, stunning Red Sea coastline, and one of the world’s greatest concentrations of largely-forgotten art deco architecture, the small country of Eritrea on the Horn of Africa hasn’t received much attention in tourism circles. However, that is about to change.
Eritrea has recently been making international headlines for all the right reasons. Rapprochement with neighbouring Ethiopia, after more than 20 years of a low-simmering border war, has pleasantly surprised many in the global community. Furthermore, its engagement with the EU and Gulf States has started to provide economic opportunities to an otherwise underemployed population. Are loosening border controls and, perhaps, even easier visa regimes on the horizon too?
Adventurous travelers would do well to take note; there is much to explore.
Art deco architecture in Asmara
If the casual traveller knows only one thing about Eritrea, it’s probably this. Added to the Unesco World Heritage list in 2017, capital city Asmara is awash with Modernist architecture left over from the Italian colonial period, most of which are notable art deco gems of a creative strain rarely seen in comparatively conservative Europe at the time of their construction.
Colonial-era cinemas and cafes line the city’s main boulevards, while further into the surrounding residential neighborhoods are the villas of the former Italian elite, which today house embassies, hotels, and cultural centres.
Unesco recognizes the city as ‘an exceptional example of early modernist urbanism at the beginning of the 20th century and its application in an African context’, but make no mistake; this is no stale fenced-off historic site, but a living city in which modern Eritreans have integrated the legacy of Italian colonialism into their everyday lives.
Red Sea city of Massawa
Eritrea’s second city, Massawa, first gained prominence during Ottoman rule when it developed into a major Red Sea port. This strategic position continued to bolster its significance through the Egyptian and Italian periods and into modern times. As a bastion of Ethiopian rule within the country, Massawa became the site of one of the most famous battles of the Eritrean war for independence, Operation Fenkil. The February 1990 battle, which saw Eritrea forces liberate the city from Ethiopian rule, left Massawa’s old town in a state of ruin that still exists today.
Ottoman, Egyptian, and Italian-era architecture dot the old town in various states of deterioration, giving the city a unique but lived-in atmosphere.
Aksumite ruins
Once regarded by contemporaries as a power on par with Persia, China, and Rome, the Kingdom of Aksum dominated the area from the 4th century BC to nearly 1000 AD. Today, it survives only through archaeological sites in modern-day Eritrea and Ethiopia. Visitors to Eritrea can still see the windswept ruins of the 10th-century cities found at Qohaito and Adulis. The latter offers a limited yet compelling look at what was once a major export market for ivory, slaves, and other commodities from the Aksumite Empire.
Although excavations at Adulis began in 1840, they halted in the early 1960s, leaving much of the former port covered by desert sands. Nevertheless, the uncovered ruins of a large 5th-century basilica and several residential structures scattered throughout the desert scrub testify to the size of the former settlement.
Further inland, Qohaito dominates a clifftop plateau at the intersection of the Great Rift Valley and Red Sea coast. Long an important trading route, the settlement gained true prominence during the Aksumite era, with the few standing archaeological remains—temples, tombs, and petroglyphs—thought to date primarily from this period.
Desert highlands and WWII battlefields
Marking the entry to the northern highlands of Eritrea, the city of Keren (which means highland in Tigrinya) serves as the center of life for several ethnic groups residing in the surrounding rural areas. Historically noted as a major market center for the region, Keren has also become a popular spot for international travelers, particularly for its weekly market and its nearby camel and livestock market. Moreover, the city gained particular importance as a bastion of Italian resistance against the Commonwealth armies during World War II. Although the important battle sites of that era have largely faded back into the surrounding desert, the paired Italian and Commonwealth cemeteries stand as solemn memorials to the conflict.
The center of Keren also features interesting examples of Italian-era colonial architecture, notably the former train station now utilized as a bus terminal. Nearby, the countryside conceals the ruins of both an Egyptian-era fortress and a Christian monastery dating back to at least the 6th century; however, securing travel permits to venture beyond the city limits has traditionally been challenging for travelers.
The potential effects of peace
Although few details have been finalized, the official end to the war could potentially have significant implications for the country’s tourism industry. For starters, Eritrea’s border regions, which have been off-limits to tourists since the conflict with Ethiopia began in 1998, should conceivably become more accessible. After all, there is no longer the risk of international tourists accidentally entering a conflict zone. The long-closed border crossings were opened to much fanfare in September, marking a positive first step. If these crossings become available to international visitors, it will undoubtedly revolutionize travel itineraries across the Horn of Africa.
Additionally, the ease of accessing visas for Eritrea is high on the list of anticipated developments. Long wait times and often unexplained rejections currently characterize tourist visa applications at Eritrean consulates and embassies globally; however, this process may begin to normalize. It is advisable to plan for visa applications to take extended periods—up to several months—before receiving confirmation, as embassies coordinate directly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Asmara regarding each application individually.
However, a note of caution is warranted. Despite the positive developments and potential accessibility of the country, Eritrea has long been reported as having poor human rights records—among the worst in the world—and a troubling tendency to detain citizens who speak out against the government. Consequently, travelers are best advised to refrain from making any overt criticisms of the ruling regime, whether in public or private, and remain mindful that currency exchange outside official channels is illegal.
