Asmara Things to Do

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Harnet avenue is the most famous and the main street in Asmara. It's a long, wide avenue with big palmtrees, surrounded by a large number of buildings in perfect condition, representing a colonial architecture. The buildings were in art deco and modernist style. Harnet avenue is maybe the prettiest street in Africa. The Asmara Cathedral is in the middle of Harnet Avenue.

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Semaetat avenue is wide road road with 4 lanes. It's the main road out from Asmara center in direction to the airport. The area around is one of the most wealthy areas in Asmara. The government buildings and president palace is located close to this road. Some nice restaurants are located her and also Roma Cinema.

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The Fiat Tagliero petrol station is a futurist style architechture completed in 1938, and designed by the Italian architect Giuseppe Pettazzi. It is designed like an aeroplane. The building has a central tower which is the office space, cashiers desk and shop. And two 15 meter concret wings.

It is one of the most famous buildings in Asmara, and has been described as "the best example of futurist architecture" in Africa. The location is close to the center of the city. A "must see" if you are in Asmara.

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The cinemas in Asmara are famous due to the Art Deco architecture, not because of the movies. Impero cinema (see first photo) is one of four Art Deco cinemas. It was designed by Mario Messina and built in 1937. Roma cinema (see second photo) is another one. Odeon cinema (the third photo) was located on Bihat Street, close to my hotel. But I found only old American movies there. What about The Rock and Snake Eyes in January 2009?

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Kahawta is another poor area of Asmara. It's the neighbouring area to Godaif, and it takes 5 minutes to drive with taxi from Asmara center. There are almost no streets with asphalt paving. The houses here are mainly build of brick and stone.

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Godaif is a poor area of Asmara. It takes 5 minutes to drive with taxi from Asmara center. The place has wide streets without asphalt paving. The houses here are mainly build of brick and stone. The big Asmara Textile factory is located in this part of the city.

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Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin mosque is located in Peace Street, near the covered markets in the center of Asmara. The name Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin means "Followers of the Right Path". There is a square in front of the mosque paved with blocks of dark stone arranged in geometrical patterns. The mosque was built in 1938.

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Kidane Meheret is the church of Oriental Christian rite. It has walls which feature Madonna of Perpetual Help and the nine monks that christianized the highlands of Eritrea. It is located close to Shuk, the central market.