Eritrea - Ministry of Information

Next Friday, August 11, is a religious holiday marked by an uphill excursion to the top of Mount Bizen where the ancient Bizen Monastery lies like an eagle’s nest.

The only way for visitors to make the not-so-easy climb to the top is on foot but the reward for those who endure that grueling climb is a spectacular view of the surrounding barren mountains.

The Red Sea of Eritrea was the gateway for the introduction of Christian and Islamic traditions into Eritrea apart from providing corridors to interregional exchanges and trade networks.

(Submitted to the Asmara Heritage Project in 2015)

One cannot speak of Asmara’s unique heritage without giving due credit to the zone that helped it acquire its exalted status. For on the hill to the northeast, overlooking the very heart of the city, the Campo Cintato, were the cluttered houses, the narrow alleys, the mud huts and agudos - the living quarters of the indigenous population.

The archaeological site of Matara is located about 1km south of Senafe in the southern region of Eritrea. The archaeological site has for long been recognized by surrounding communities as Belew-Kelew. Matara´s visibility in various documents started to feature during the 19th century when various Europeans visited the site and documented their observations.

Asmara woke up early on 8 July 2017, as it did for ages…the early morning call to prayers from nearby mosques and the sounds of church bells mix with the sounds of click clock from horse and donkey driven carriages, and the buses and trucks heading out of the city to villages near and far.

It is said that our beles (Prickly Pear) was introduced by Abba Jacobis of Hebo in 1953 when he first settled in Segeneti. Beles is a very nutritional type of fruit that can be used to fence fields and guard the soil against erosion. When dry, the stem is used as fuel instead of wood. Although some livestock eat its hardy stems in time of drought, they don’t seem to relish it altogether. I have seen sheep sniffing at it and deciding to leave it alone.