Eritrean capital of Asmara

Perched on a plateau two kilometers (6,500 feet) above the Red Sea, the Eritrean capital of Asmara has one of the world's highest concentrations of early modern architecture. Constructed primarily between 1936 and 1941 by Italian architects unconstrained by the more conservative environment in Europe, Asmara's architects and engineers borrowed from a wide range of building styles. The fusion of European modernism with African highland culture and traditional materials resulted in a unique urban environment that has survived remarkably intact. Today, more than 400 buildings remain from the Italian period, among them the Asmara Theater. Designed in 1919 by renowned architect and engineer Oduardo Cavagnari (1868-1920), the theater was the city's first performing arts venue. Asmara was included on the 2006 World Monuments Watch because of development pressures. Since Eritrean independence from Ethiopia in 1993, increased public and private demands to improve the urban infrastructure and construct contemporary buildings have compromised the city's built environment. Recognizing the threat, the government established the Cultural Assets Rehabilitation Project (CARP) in 2000. With support from the World Bank, CARP undertook extensive research and documentation of Asmara's urban environment, establishing a "historic perimeter" zone around the city center. CARP also worked to develop planning guidelines and a legal framework to protect Asmara's historic resources. More on Modernism at Risk. Please help support work at sites like Asmara Historic City Center by donating to WMF's annual campaign.