An African country became a hub for dark tourism, thanks partly to its striking Italian-styled architecture and unique culture.
Eritrea is located in northeast Africa next to the Red Sea.
It borders Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti, and is famous for its Italian colonial buildings, especially in the capital of Asmara.
Travel blogger Drew Binsky traveled to the country and even met an Italian tourist there. She told him the capital city “looks really, really Italian. I had the best spaghetti and pizza that I ever had outside of Italy.”
The Foreign Office warns Brits against all travel to Eritrea due to a high threat of terrorism and political instability.
Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1991. Italians arrived in the country in 1882 to form settlements in the country.
This is what led to the Italian aesthetic of many of the buildings.
Italy left Eritrea in 1941 during World War II, it was then placed under British military administration until 1952.
Drew Binsky said in his video that the buildings take him “right back to Florence or Milan.”
Even many of the cars in the capital city are old Italian models.
Many of the older generations in the country can speak fluent Italian.
Drew Binsky added that spending time in Eritrea is like going back 30 or 40 years. The capital city is cash only, with no credit cards accepted.
None of the cars and buildings are modern either.
While there, the travel vlogger said the people were welcoming and accepting.
Eritrea also attracts dark tourism due to its history. The country endured difficult times during the civil war that led to its independence.
There was another war for two years in 1998, again with Ethiopia.
