KEREN, ERITREA

'Keren' (formerly 'Cheren') is the third largest city in Eritrea, lying north west of Asmara, with a population of around 75,000 people. It is the capital of the Anseba province.
The city grew around an Eritrean Railway to Asmara, now dismantled (although there are plans to rebuild). It is an important commercial centre and was the scene of regular battles in both World War II and the Eritrean War of Independence. During World War II a fierce battle between Italian and British troops took place here. ^[1]
Attractions in the city include the Tigu nineteenth century Egyptian fort, the St Maryam Dearit chapel, lying in a baobab tree, the 1930s former railway station, British Army and Italian Army cemeteries and local markets. The nearby sixth century Debra Sina monastery is known for its cave dwellings.
The town has been divided into 4 administrative sub-divisions:

★ Elabered

★ Hagaz

★ Halhal

★ Melbaso
The town also shares some of the Art Deco architecture that Asmara well known for on the continent.

Contents

Twin cities

References

Further reading

Twin cities

★ Trondheim, Norway

References

1. Reviving Asmara

Further reading

★ Hill, Justin (2002), ''Ciao Asmara, A classic account of contemporary Africa''. Little, Brown, ISBN 978-0349115269. VSO volunteer's story of Ertirea. Hill lived in Keren for two years

★ The Globalist Feature, including an extract from Justin Hill's book, Ciao Asmara