ERITREA - AFRICAN LUKOMORIA

1 DAY. Arrival in Asmara. Tour of Asmara. Asmara, located on the eastern edge of the elevated plateau, is famous for its mild climate, clean and architecturally expressive streets, and has a reputation as one of the safest capitals in Africa. The city began its life as an association of four villages, which were founded by shepherds, satisfied with the local abundance of water - hence its original name - Arbat Esmere. At the end of the 19th century, the Italian colonialists decided that Asmara should become the jewel of their East African empire, and over the next 50 years they developed the layout and architecture of the city in accordance with their own cultural traditions, with artistic decoration of houses and a clear layout of streets and houses. The Italian architectural style is still visible throughout the city, from the original residential area in the south, which still boasts numerous Art Deco villas, to the buildings of the administrative area in the north of the city. The main street, Liberation Ave, crosses the capital from east to west, and all walks in Asmara usually start here - past the Corinthian columns of the neoclassical Governor's Palace, the Romanesque porticos of the Opera House (1920), the Catholic Cathedral (one of the finest examples of the pawnshop style Romanesque" outside of Italy), the city's mosque and the imposing façade of the Cinema Impero. The Italian style, however, is absent in the northeast of the city, where the local population was housed during the colonial period in poor shacks that still stand today. The excellent Asmara National Museum is still awaiting a complete renovation of its new premises, but when it is completed, the exhibition will include exhibitions on the struggle for independence, a description of the culture of the country's nine ethnic groups and its main archaeological sites. Also of interest are the surroundings of the City Park or TankSemetri (“Tank Cemetery”), where you can find the “remains” of hundreds of decommissioned tanks, armored vehicles and other military equipment of various periods and manufacturers.

2 DAY. Excursion trip from Asmara Keren. Overnight in Keren. Karen is the third largest city in Eritrea, well located on a small plateau surrounded by mountains, and has retained a discreet provincial status despite being a major commercial center of the country. The city witnessed fierce battles between the Italians and the British during the Second World War, and during the more than 20 years of the struggle for independence, fierce battles unfolded here between rebel forces and detachments of the Ethiopian army. Reminders of the war are found here at every turn, it is enough to visit the British War Cemetery or the Italian Cemetery to appreciate the full severity of the battles. Near the city market is the local shrine of St. Mariam, as well as the ancient baobab, which is a symbol of abundance. It is believed that if a passing traveler accepts a cup of coffee from the hands of local women in the shade of the foliage of this tree, then both sides will be blessed with wisdom and abundance. Therefore, on any day you can taste the excellent strongest local coffee for free here and thereby bring joy to the locals. The old residential area of Karen is full of Italian architectural heritage, while you can get a great idea of the life of this region simply by climbing to the top of Mount Tigu or visiting the Egyptian Fort to the northeast of the city.

3 DAY. Transfer to the city of Massawa through the Filfil Rainforest. Overnight in Massawa. Port of Massawa, which is 100 km. northeast of Asmara, has long been the cultural center of the country's coastal region. This deep Red Sea harbor has been used for centuries by foreign traders and invaders, including the Turks, who held out for over 300 years, the Egyptians and the Italians. All of them left their own imprint of individual architectural influence here. For this, as well as for the beautiful beaches in the area, it is often called the "Pearl of the Red Sea." The city lies within two islands - Massawa and Taulud (administrative center), plus a small part of it (largely - residential areas) is located on the mainland. With its labyrinthine streets and hodgepodge of interesting buildings, hotels, plazas and religious buildings, Massawa is a wonderful place to explore on foot. In the side streets opposite the harbour, you will find coral block houses (mostly from the 17th century). Coral was once a traditional building material for Massawa houses, as well as the ancient Ottoman-style buildings of Mammub Mohammed Nahari and Abu Hamdum. Tucked away in the city's residential area are several old indoor markets, the 500-year-old Sheikh Hanafi Mosque, with its stunning Murano chandelier, and the sumptuous Campo, a large plaza surrounded by buildings that feature sumptuous Turkish and Egyptian carved façades.

4 DAY. The ancient port of Adulis. Gurgusum beach. Transfer to Asmara, overnight.

5 DAY. Journey to Senafe and Matara. Overnight in Adigeiha.

6 DAY.Kohaito - one of the best archaeological areas in the country. A favorite topic of conversation among regional historians is whether the ruins of Kohaito, 120 km away, really exist. south of Asmara, was formerly the ancient city of Koloe, a legendary and commercially important city in the great kingdom of Aksum. Even if this is not the case, the city remains a large and expressive section of the historical zone of Africa - the size of 2.5 by 15 km. and the great height, and the fact that only about 20% of ruins have been excavated, allows us to hope that in time Kohaito will compete even with the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Four unique historical monuments have already been freed from centuries-old deposits and are the pride of Kohaito. The Mariam Waakiro Temple is thought to be one of the earliest Christian churches in the world, and is now literally surrounded by a ring of broken stone left over from half a dozen other temples. To the north of it lies the underground Egyptian Tomb, carved into the thickness of the sandstone, so named not because it was built by the Egyptians, but because of the impressive size of the tomb itself, which has no analogues in the ancient world. The largest structure in Kohaito is the 60 m long Safira Dam, built about 1000 years ago. Near Kohaito, in an exceptionally picturesque canyon, there is the famous Adi Alauti Cave with rock art. Segeneiti is a place no less picturesque, famous for its giant ficus trees, boulder rocks and milkweeds. Return to Asmara. Short overnight stay and flight to the Motherland (day 7).

COST OF PARTICIPATION: 1271 US dollars + airfare, + visa and insurance. 

With a minimum group of 5 people; in the event of a decrease in the number of participants, the budget of the expedition may be adjusted upwards; the cost of single occupancy + 110 USD…

INCLUDED IN THE PRICE: 

• transport - minibus,
• accommodation in tourist category hotels (with shower, WC in the rooms),
• two meals a day (breakfast + dinner) in hotels, lunches on the road,
• guides and conductors.