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.