Keren Tourist Places to Visit in Keren, Eastern Africa, Africa

Keren Tourist Places to Visit in Keren, Eastern Africa, Africa

Keren, earlier called Sanhit and Cheren, is the 2^nd largest city of the Eastern African country, Eritrea. It is in the central part of the country, coming under the Anseba region, lying at an elevation of 1,390 meters, around 90 km northwest of Asmara, the capital of Eritrea. Keren features a semi-desert with cold winter from October to February, and hot summer from March to June. Its rainy season begins in mid-June and extends until mid-September.

Keren is one of the top tourist destinations of Eritrea holding many historic attractions including Tigu Egyptian fort, Sayed Bakri Mausoleum and St Maryam Deari chapel.

History of Keren:

The most parts of Keren’s history revolve round wars such as the World War II, the Eritrean War of Independence and battle between British and Italian armies in the year 1941. It headed towards development with the Eritrean Railway project in 1887 by the Kingdom of Italy.

Getting Keren:

Getting Keren would not be a difficult task for visitors as it is not too far from the national capital, Asmara, around 90 km. It is served by Asmara International Airport with scheduled flights from Cairo, Kassala, Khartoum, Port Sudan and Sana’a, served by EgyptAir, Nova Airways, Sudan Airways and Yemenia.

The airport is located around 100 km away from Keren, which can be crossed by bus or airport taxis or pre-booked private transfer.

Including Asmara and Massawa, the bus transportation of Keren extends to all the important cities and towns of Eritrea.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Keren:

The Bilen and the Tigre are the major ethnic groups forming the Keren’s population and the city also houses some portion of Tigrinya people.

Keren is home to a renowned traditional market with a wide selection of handicraft products, jewelries and clothes.

Restaurant Fickri & Selam is one of the recommended restaurant options in Keren.

Things to do in Keren:

Exploring archeological and historical sites
City tours
Shopping

Tourist Attractions in Keren:

Tigu Egyptian Fort:

Tigu Egyptian Fort is one of the prime tourist attractions of Keren, which dates from the nineteenth century, still good in condition and attracts tourists from all around the country.

St Maryam Deari chapel:

Being a prime religious site of the city, the St Maryam Deari chapel gains attention of tourists throughout the nation. It is allowed for visitors year round.

Cemeteries of British Army and Italian Army soldiers:

Keren was the site of the historic war fought between the British and Italian Armies during the Second World War from February to April in 1941. For Soldiers who died in that war, a cemetery was constructed that is now a tourist attraction.

Former railway station of Keren:

Railway project in Eritrea was initiated by the Kingdom of Italy in 1887 and the project had remained in operation until 1932, during their rule in Eritrea. Due to the wars fought in the later years destroyed the construction and railway lost importance in Eritrea. Although many former railway stations can be seen in the country and the Keren Railway Station is one of them.

Other places of interest in and around Keren include:

Sayed Bakri Mausoleum
Debre Sina monastery
The old mosque
Baobab tree
Keren markets
Fiat Tagliero Building
Asmara President’s Office
Cinema Impero
Joseph’s Cathedral
National Museum Asmara
Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral
Asmara Theatre and Opera House
Sembel Archaeological Site
Synagogue of Asmara
Al Khulafa Al Rashiudin Mosque

Ideal time to visit Keren:

Considering cool weather supportive for sightseeing, October to February is the best time to visit Keren in Eritrea.

Accommodation options in Keren:

Compared to the most other cities in Eritrea, Keren owns an upgraded hospitality industry with some modernized hotels with all basic and latest facilities and services. Below is the list of some nice hotels in Keren and Asmara (around 901 km):