ABSTRACT
This chapter provides analytical views on past and present official and cultural narratives of Asmara, the capital city of Eritrea, in East Africa. These narratives stem from its foundation as a "united" settlement and its Italian, British, and Ethiopian occupations to its current state as the heart of Eritrea and the recipient of strong resources from its transnational migrants around the world. The Italians heavily invested in Eritrea for their own economic and political benefits, which included the strategic access to the Red Sea. After the defeat of Italy by the allied powers during World War II, between 1941 and 1952, Eritrea was a British protectorate. The economic and political situation in Asmara also went from bad to worse when the Derg came to power between 1974 and 1991, deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in Ethiopia. Also, in 2001, the Cultural Assets Rehabilitation Project (CARP) was started to assess the historical and architectural heritage of Asmara.
