Eritrea: Asmara – Legacy of Italian Architecture

You want to time travel almost a century back? Go to Asmara! Most, if not all, of central Asmara was built by Italians between 1935 and 1940 when the dictator Mussolini embarked on his mission of creating the Second Roman Empire. Virtually all buildings are in the Art Deco modernist style and everywhere you look are time-weathered architectural gems. Back then, Asmara was what Dubai is now – a futuristic city. Among the most outstanding examples are Fiat Tagliero and Cinema Impero buildings. There are wide palm-fringed promenades with many bars and coffee-shops serving arguably best Italian coffee.