Eritrea Travel Guide | Trip to Eritrea | Eritrea Tourism Information

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 cane 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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