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- Convenor:
-
Francesca Locatelli
(Edinburgh University)
- Stream:
- Environment, development and human rights
- Location:
- G50
- Start time:
- 11 September, 2006 at
Time zone: Europe/London
- Session slots:
- 1
Short Abstract:
none
Long Abstract:
Famous for its modernist architecture, bars and 'Mediterranean' style of life, Asmara is emerging as one of the most fascinating tourist attractions in East Africa and its architectural heritage is becoming internationally recognised for its uniqueness. The 'discovery' of the town, however, is quite new and follows the period of the Eritrean liberation struggle against Ethiopian rule (1960s-1991). This panel will shed light upon the history, culture and architecture of Asmara. It will focus on the history and development of the town, tackling issues such as processes of urbanisation, urban segregation during the Italian colonial period (1890-1941), cultural and political development and life in the post-colonial period and on its magnificent architecture.
Accepted papers:
Session 1Edward Denison
Paper long abstract:
UNESCO's World Heritage List represents a concentration of early or Western-centric sites, overlooking, albeit not deliberately, the contribution of more recent heritage assets and the heritage of developing countries. Applications for World Heritage Listing from Africa have been proportionally well below those from other continents, while, until recently, 20th century architecture has struggled to gain recognition as a legitimate heritage asset among international agencies responsible for heritage documentation and conservation.
The establishment of the Cultural Assets Rehabilitation Project (CARP) in 2000 by the Government of Eritrea, with the support of The World Bank, represented a significant step in documenting and promoting Eritrea's architectural heritage, and has led to the country submitting for the first time three sites to UNESCO for possible future World Heritage listing. The significance of an application for World Heritage Listing from Eritrea for its capital, Asmara, one of the world's most complete Modernist ensembles, is a genuinely important step in remedying the under-representation of both heritage in Africa and 20th century architecture on the World Heritage List.
This paper will outline the evolution of Eritrea's unique architectural experience, the notion of Modernism in the context of Eritrea, and the processes through which these legacies are now being used to safeguard other heritage assets and encourage long-term improvements in the urban landscapes of one of the world's poorest countries.
Francesca Locatelli (Edinburgh University)
Paper long abstract:
Asmara is often portrayed by the media and remembered by tourists as a beautiful city, famous for its "Italian features". That the Italian imprint marked the shape of Asmara is almost indisputable and certainly not surprising, considering the long period of Italian colonial domination in Eritrea (1890-1941). Through the imposition of a European (or Italian) model of urbanism, Italian colonialism attempted to transform Asmara into a "modern" city with features similar to those found in Italian urban centres which could accommodate the need of Italian settlers. While Asmara's beauty and Italian life-style recently captured the attention of scholars, what still remains under-explored is how African men and women experienced the city and its "modernity" during the colonial period, the ways in which they shaped their identities and how they remember Italian colonial past in present day time. Drawing on new archival material found in Eritrea and on interviews undertaken during my fieldwork in the country in 2001-2002, this paper will attempt to demonstrate the limits and contradictions of the colonial notion of "modernity" imposed on Asmara and to examine what has been (and has been not) transmitted of the African experience in the city.