Presentations

War and isolation have left this diminutive country in the shadows, with few travellers daring to visit. But Eritrea hides far more than first impressions might suggest. Once chosen as the capital for Mussolini’s unrealised vision of a second Roman empire in Africa, Asmara is home to the greatest collection of Art Deco architecture outside of Italy. Beyond this, Aksumite ruins and ancient rock art decorate the southern highlands, whilst the Ottoman architecture of Massawa – still scarred by conflict – acts a gateway to idyllic coral islands and the “Pompeii of Africa”, Adulis. Further north, the country comes to life in Keren, where a Monday market sells everything from camels to kitchen sinks. This is a country to which peace has only just returned and where travel is unglamorous, but the rough edges make it all the more authentic.