From: Biniam Haile \(SWE\) (eritrea.lave@comhem.se)
Date: Tue Apr 14 2009 - 10:29:01 EDT
April 14, 2009
Eritrea Travel Guide | Trip to Eritrea | Eritrea Tourism Information
Travelguide4plane
Eritrea, which is officially called the Republic of Eritrea, is located
in the northern part of East Africa. Although it used to be an Italian
colony in the late 19th century, it came under the UN protection for a
few years in 1941 and eventually gained its independence in 1993. Asmara
is the capital. The main religions followed here are Islam and
Christianity. Arabic, English and Italian are the languages spoken here.
The economy of the country is mostly dependent on agriculture.
Eritrea too is made up of many tribes, but the two tribes that form more
than 80% of the population, are the Tigrinya and Tigre tribes. In
addition, there are some minorities of Italians, who have settled for
generations in the land. It is not uncommon for colonies to adapt to
some customs of their rulers and the same is true of Eritrea too. The
Italian way of life and culture can be seen here too. To the extent that
Asmara even has some Italian style cafés. Coffee forms an important part
of the daily life here. There is even a ‘coffee ceremony’, observed
especially when one has guests, friends and relatives over. Festivities
related to Islam are observed strictly including the fasting during
Ramzan.
Eritrea has many scenic and historical places to visit. The capital of
Asmara, which was once only a group of villages, gained importance after
the Italian colonial government shifted its headquarters there. As a
result, Italian architecture is quite common here. No expense was spared
in marble or other resources when it came to building cathedrals and
mosques here. The Khalufa el Rashidin, is an important mosque which is
very huge. There are many souqs or small open markets too which deal
extensively in gold an other jewellery.
The Mai Jahjah Fountain, National Museum and the Asmara Theater are
other interesting places to see. Massawa, another city is an important
tourist spot too. Not only was it important in ancient times, but the
buildings and influences here are reminiscent, of the Turkish and
Egyptian rule between the 16th to 19th century. The monastery of Debre
bizen is a must see. A place called Twalet has examples of Italian
architecture. Massawa has beaches too, and the beach of Gergussum, where
one can bathe should not be missed.
The Buri peninsula and Zula Bay are also beautiful. Recreational
activities like fishing, sailing and scuba diving are also encouraged.
An important pilgrimage site called Emberemi, is also frequented by
tourists. Asseb, which is a modern city is famous for the shopping and
also has many more beaches. Likewise, if one is interested in seeing
more influences on architecture, then Akordat should not be missed.
Eritrea is important in the study of civilizations, and some of the
sites where excavations are often carried out are Dahlak, Tekonda,
Metera and Kohaito. The villages of Himbirti and Hismile even have cave
paintings and other etchings that are still being studied.
Eritrea allows a traveler to take a tour through its history as well as
captivated the heart through its soaks, and architectural pieces.
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