Asmara
Asmara | |
---|---|
ኣስመራ | |
Coordinates: 15°19′22″N 38°55′30″E / 15.32278°N 38.92500°E | |
Country | Eritrea |
Region | Central |
Districts | 13 |
Demonym | Asmarino |
Settled | 800 BC |
Incorporated | 1890 |
Government | |
• Mayor of Asmera | Fshaye Haile |
• Mayor of Zoba | Fshaye Haile |
Area | |
• Capital city | 45 km2 (17 sq mi) |
Elevation | 2,325 m (7,628 ft) |
Population (2023)[1] | |
• Capital city | 1,073,000 |
• Rank | 1st in Eritrea |
• Density | 19,911/km2 (51,570/sq mi) |
• Metro | 1,258,001[citation needed] |
Time zone | UTC+03:00 (EAT) |
HDI (2019) | |
Climate | BSk |
Official name | Asmera: A Modernist African City |
Criteria | Cultural: ii, iv |
Reference | 1550 |
Inscription | 2017 (41st Session) |
Area | 481 ha |
Buffer zone | 1,203 ha |
Asmara (
History
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".[7]
The first mention of Asmara comes from a Latin itinerary during the reign of Emperor Dawit I (1382–1411).[6]
Italian Asmara
Asmara, a small village in the nineteenth century, started to grow quickly when it was occupied by Italy in 1889.[8] Governor Ferdinando Martini made it the capital city of Italian Eritrea in 1897.[9]
In the early 20th century, the Eritrean Railway was built to the coast, passing through the town of Ghinda, under the direction of Carlo Cavanna. In both 1913 and 1915 the city suffered only slight damage in large earthquakes.[10]
A large Italian community developed the city.[11] 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.[12] (Compare this to the Italian colonization of Libya, where the settler population, albeit larger, was more dispersed.)
The capital acquired an Italian architectural look. Europeans used Asmara "to experiment with radical new designs".[13] By the late 1930s, Asmara was called Piccola Roma (Little Rome).[14] Journalist John Gunther noted in 1955 that "the Italians built [Asmara] well, like 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.[15] 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).
The Kingdom of Italy invested in the industrial development of Asmara (and surrounding areas of Eritrea),[16] 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".[17]
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
Geography
The city lies at an elevation of 2,325 metres (7,628 feet)
Climate
Asmara has a Cold semi-arid climate (BSk) according to the Köppen climate classification.[19] It has year-round moderately warm weather, with temperatures between minimum 14°C to a maximum of 30.5°C. It has an average humidity of 51% and an UV-index of 6. Holdridge life zones system of bioclimatic classification put Asmara in or near the subtropical thorn woodland biome.[20] The rain patterns differs from month to month with highest precipitation in July and August, and lower precipitation the other months.[21]
It has warm, but not hot summers and mild winters.
Climate data for Asmara, Eritrea (1961–1990 normals, extremes 1903–2012) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 29.0 (84.2) |
29.2 (84.6) |
30.5 (86.9) |
31.0 (87.8) |
30.0 (86.0) |
29.4 (84.9) |
29.4 (84.9) |
27.4 (81.3) |
27.2 (81.0) |
31.0 (87.8) |
26.7 (80.1) |
26.2 (79.2) |
31.0 (87.8) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 22.3 (72.1) |
23.8 (74.8) |
25.1 (77.2) |
25.1 (77.2) |
25.0 (77.0) |
24.9 (76.8) |
21.6 (70.9) |
21.5 (70.7) |
22.9 (73.2) |
21.7 (71.1) |
21.5 (70.7) |
21.5 (70.7) |
23.1 (73.6) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 13.8 (56.8) |
14.9 (58.8) |
16.3 (61.3) |
17.0 (62.6) |
17.6 (63.7) |
17.6 (63.7) |
16.3 (61.3) |
16.1 (61.0) |
15.7 (60.3) |
14.9 (58.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
13.2 (55.8) |
15.6 (60.1) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 4.3 (39.7) |
5.1 (41.2) |
7.5 (45.5) |
8.7 (47.7) |
10.2 (50.4) |
10.5 (50.9) |
10.8 (51.4) |
10.7 (51.3) |
8.6 (47.5) |
8.1 (46.6) |
6.6 (43.9) |
4.8 (40.6) |
8.0 (46.4) |
Record low °C (°F) | −4.5 (23.9) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
3.4 (38.1) |
3.9 (39.0) |
3.7 (38.7) |
0.2 (32.4) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 3.7 (0.15) |
2.0 (0.08) |
14.6 (0.57) |
33.4 (1.31) |
41.1 (1.62) |
38.5 (1.52) |
174.9 (6.89) |
155.6 (6.13) |
15.6 (0.61) |
15.4 (0.61) |
20.4 (0.80) |
3.4 (0.13) |
518.6 (20.42) |
Average rainy days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 47 |
Average relative humidity (%)
|
54 | 48 | 46 | 49 | 48 | 48 | 76 | 80 | 59 | 63 | 66 | 61 | 58.2 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 291.4 | 260.4 | 275.9 | 264.0 | 257.3 | 219.0 | 151.9 | 158.1 | 213.0 | 272.8 | 276.0 | 282.1 | 2,921.9 |
Percent possible sunshine | 84 | 81 | 75 | 71 | 65 | 57 | 38 | 41 | 59 | 76 | 82 | 82 | 67 |
Source 1: NOAA[25] | |||||||||||||
Source 2: Meteo Climat (extremes)[26] |
Culture
The city is home to the
Architecture
The city is known for its early 20th-century buildings, including the
The city shows off most early 20th-century architectural styles. Some buildings are
Asmara is known to be an exceptionally modern city, not only because of its architecture, but Asmara also had more
The city incorporates many features of a planned city.Restaurants, bars, cafes
Asmara has wide streets, restaurants,
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.[31] The inscription taking place during the 41st World Heritage Committee Session.
The city has thousands of
Some notable buildings include the Fiat Tagliero Building, Bar Zilli,[38] opera houses, hotels, and cinemas, such as the Cinema Impero.
A statement from UNESCO read:
It is an exceptional example of early modernist urbanism at the beginning of the 20th century and its application in an African context.
-
Teatro d'Opera, the opera house of Asmara.
-
A building at the University of Asmara.
-
Villa Roma, Italian embassy.
-
Hotel (Albergo) Italia, built 1889. The hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Asmara
-
The African pension.
-
Interior of Asmara post office.
-
The Embasoira built 1919 (Old Imperial hotel), celebrated 100 years in 2019.
-
The Casa degli Italiani restaurant.
-
The railway station in Asmara.
-
An old house in the European quarter.
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
Four big landmarks of the city are the
Asmara is also the
Economy
Eritrean Airlines, the Eritrean Telecommunications Corporation, and other companies are headquartered in the city.[40] The country's national television station Eri-TV has many studios located in various areas in the capital.
Asmara Brewery, built 1939 under the name of Melotti, is located in the city and employs 600 people.[41] 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
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.[42]
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 950 mm (3 ft 1+3⁄8 in) (narrow gauge) rail line in Eritrea. The
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 Montessoridepartment (1903-2020)
Secondary School's
- 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
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:
- 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
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
- Bruno Lauzi, Italian singer-songwriter, poet and writer
- Dawit Isaak, Swedish-Eritrean journalist
- Meb Keflezighi, Eritrean-born American long-distance runner
- 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
References
- ^ "CIA – The World Factbook". Retrieved 2 September 2012.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ Mark Byrnes An African City's Unusual Preservation Legacy Archived 12 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine 8 February 2012 Atlantic Cities
- ^ "Eritrea capital Asmera makes World Heritage list". 8 July 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
- ^ "Arbate Asmara: The origin of the city". Archived from the original on 15 July 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9783515032049.
- ISBN 978-1-84162-171-5.
- ^ "Dadfeatured: ITALIAN ASMARA". 6 August 2018.
- ^ AA.VV. (1994). Guida dell'Africa Orientale Italiana (in Italian). Milano: Consociazione Turistica Italiana. p. 199.
- ISBN 0-521-39120-2.
- ^ Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2013, p. 19
- ^ "Benvenuto sul sito del Maitacli" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 8 July 2011.
- ^ "Asmara useful for experimenting with radical designs for Europeans". The Washington Times. 15 September 2007. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
- ^ "Italian architectural planification of Asmera (in Italian) p. 64-66" (PDF).
- ISBN 0836981979.
- ^ "ITALIAN ERITREA INDUSTRIES". 9 April 2015.
- ^ "Asmara, the capital of Art Deco". 14 July 2017.
- ISBN 9780717256983.
- ^ "Climate Asmara – Temperature • Best time to visit • Weather". Besttimetovisit.co.uk. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ "Yearly & Monthly weather - Asmara, Eritrea".
- ^ "Asmara Climate Asmara Temperatures Asmara, Eritrea Weather Averages". www.climate.top. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- S2CID 55130364.
- ^ S2CID 55130364.
- ^ .
- ^ "Asmara Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ^ "Station Asmara" (in French). Meteo Climat. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
- ^ Gianluca Rossi, Renzo Martinelli inviato de La Nazione, 2009.
- ^ a b "Reviving Asmara". BBC Radio 3. 19 June 2005. Retrieved 30 August 2006.
- ^ a b lorenzopinnavideo (7 June 2011), Asmara, la più bella città africana, archived from the original on 11 December 2021, retrieved 18 September 2017
- ^ "Food and drink in Eritrea". Worldtravelguide.net. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ^ Wainwright, Oliver (8 July 2017). "The Italian architecture that shaped new world heritage site Asmara". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- ^ a b Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Asmara: A Modernist African City". UNESCO World Heritage Centre.
- ^ Commentary, Tom Gardner (11 July 2017). "Eritrea's picturesque capital is now a World Heritage site and could help bring it in from the cold". Quartz Africa.
- ^ "Eritrea capital, Asmara, makes UNESCO World Heritage list | Africanews". Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ "Eritrea's capital added to UNESCO World Heritage site list | DW | 08.07.2017". DW.COM.
- ^ "The modernist marvels of Eritrea". Apollo Magazine. 19 November 2019.
- ^ "Exploring Eritrea's UNESCO certified Art-Deco wonderland". The Independent. 9 November 2017.
- ^ Centre, UNESCO World Heritage. "Asmara: A Modernist African City". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ Hsu, Becky (ed.), Eritrea: Religious Distribution (PDF), p. 3, retrieved 22 December 2011
- ^ Welcome to the Telecommunication Internet Service Provider – TSEiNET, archived from the original on 20 July 2011, retrieved 8 July 2011
- ^ "Asmara Brewery". Asmara Brewery. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
- ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ISBN 9781857431315– via Google Books.
- ^ "Eritrean Railway Revival". www.internationalsteam.co.uk.
- ^ "Italian-Eritrean Railway and Tramway". www.trainweb.org.
Further reading
- 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
- Asmara, Eritrea Documentary Film about the city by filmmaker Caterina Borelli
- History of Asmara
- Asmara inscription in UNESCO