Keren
Eritrea · Anseba · 1390 m
Description
Keren lies in a bowl of hills a thousand metres below Asmara and feels like a different country. It is largely Muslim and mostly Tigre and Bilen rather than highland Tigrinya, warmer, dustier and slower. The reason to time a visit is Monday, when camels and cattle are driven in from the surrounding valleys for the livestock market. Outside town the shrine of Saint Mariam Dearit sits inside a hollow baobab and draws pilgrims of both faiths. The ridges above were the ground of a long battle in nineteen forty one that ended Italian rule, and the war cemeteries are the best kept places here.
Length of stay
Recommended length of stay: 1 to 2 days (optimal 1 day)
Travel season
Best time to visit: November – February
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Highlights
- Monday camel and livestock market (weekly)
- Shrine of Saint Mariam Dearit in the baobab
- Covered silver and basket market
- Italian and Commonwealth war cemeteries
- Tigu, the Egyptian fort above the town
- Ruined railway station and rolling stock
- Great Mosque of Keren
- Italian quarter along the main street
- Battlefield of Dongolaas Gorge and Cameron Ridge(Day trip)
- Elabered estate on the Asmara road(Day trip)
- Bilen and Tigre village visits
Getting there
- Nearest airports:
- ASM