Former Ethiopian Colony on UNESCO World Heritage Site List

The capital of Eritrea was named a World Heritage site by the United Nations' cultural body, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

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The classification is the culmination of the efforts of Eritrean officials, who tirelessly petitioned for the city of Asmara's unique architecture to be recognized by the U.N. body.

Eritrea's permanent delegate to UNESCO, Hanna Simon expressed pride in response to the appointment.

"The city's recognition as a heritage site of outstanding universal value fills us with tremendous pride and joy, but also with a profound sense of responsibility and duty," the lobbyist said.

It is a "victory not just for the Eritrean people but for Africa and the world at large," she explained.

The decision was made Saturday at a meeting of the World Heritage Committee in Krakow, where the committee will review the nominations of 33 sites seeking inscription on the list.

The members of the group were stirred by the value of Asmara's 19th and early 20th-century modernist designs — by the colonial-era Italian architects — immersed in an African highland environment.

The distinct, futuristic architecture includes an art deco bowling alley with colored glass windows and a gas station that resembles an airplane, both date back to colonial-era Italy.

Eritrea, once a part of Ethiopia, displays the work of architects who were rejected in conservative European cities. Many Eritrean cities were destroyed during the decades-long war.

But, Asmara — coined "Piccola Roma" or "Little Rome" at the time — largely withstood the conflict, and was declared a national monument in 2001.

According to the authorities, efforts made to restore the marble facades and Roman-style pillars of the theaters and cinemas in the city have hit a wall due to limited funding and local expertise.

Eritrea's government has faced widespread criticism from the U.N. commission's inquiry into alleged abuses, which include enslavement, rape and torture.

Eritrea is also a major source of migration into Europe.