Keren Things to Do

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The Madonna of the Baobab also known as the shrine of St Maryam Dearit is an ancient baobab which is believed to have powers of fertility. Local women brew coffee in the shade of the tree and they believe if a traveller accepts a cup of coffee they will be blessed with children.
The tree is hollow and you can go inside, but you have to take your shoes off.

The new Cathedral is very attractive for a modern building. I'm not sure when it was built but it was fairly recently. Its beautiful blue glass domes dominate the city and shine in the sunlight. The brickwork is very decorative and a lovely warm shade of terracotta.
The interior is sparsely furnished but very nice as it is extremely bright, which gives it a warm ambience.
If it is closed you can easily find the man with the keys by asking in the yard next door.

You can visit the graveyards of both the British and Italian soldiers who died in the second world war.
Although a bit sad, it is very interesting to wander around and the the graveyards are extremely well kept with nice trees and plants so are very peaceful.

The camel market is in the square in front of the market. The camels are used to transport the wood and other goods, and the square is filled with traders, camels and other goods.
It is easy to wander around and take photographs, the camels don't bother and neither do the traders and when it is busy it is very lively and colourful.

Across the main road is the site of Keren's famous wood & camel market. Up to a hundred camels are brought here on Modays, but even on other days you will see quite a few, plenty of donkeys, carrying loads of firewood to be sold to townspeople.

The main vegetable and fruit market in Keren is a riot of colour, thanks to the gorgeous traditional costumes of the local Tigre and Bilen women.
Beyond the veggie market, you enter the bazaar area with its interesting silversmiths and antique shops.

This "Circle of Flowers" is the centre of Keren.
It is flanked by pretty, colonial-style houses, some of which now house hotels and restaurants. It is the best place to sit and watch the town go about its life.

Keren may not be such an overwhelmingly Italian town as Asmara, but it certainly has its share of eye-catching buildings all the same.
Unfortunately, many of these are decaying - gracefully.