Tank Graveyard

Top choice


Part junkyard, part memorial, the ruins of military vehicles from around the country have been dragged to this open field in the years since heavy fighting ended, and make for poignant reflection on the damage done during decades of fighting. Local families have made their homes in a number of shipping containers in the centre of the area, which you'll need a permit from the Tourist Information Centre to enter, but wander (and photograph) at will apart from this area.

To get here follow Cemetery St past the Italian Cemetery until it takes a sharp left turn, where you'll continue straight onto a busy dirt path. The junkyard is soon visible off to the left, but for the densest collection of military hardware continue around to the western corner.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Italian Cemetery

0.5 MILES

Final resting place to generations of Italians, this lovely little cemetery is still used by the few immigrant families that remain. It's uphill off…

2. Fiat Tagliero Building

0.85 MILES

A futurist departure from the art deco standard that defines most of the notable Italian-era buildings in Asmara, this former petrol station was…

3. National Museum

0.92 MILES

Asmara's strong point are its buildings, rather than its museums, but it's also worth popping your head into the National Museum, west of the former…

4. Asmara Piscina

1.13 MILES

The 1940s Asmara Piscina is currently closed to swimmers, but there's nothing stopping you from badgering the attendant for a peek inside the modernist…

5. Capitol Cinema

1.22 MILES

This cinema building, now abandoned except for a few pool tables in a gallery off the lobby, was constructed in 1932.

6. Former Governor's Palace

1.23 MILES

The best place to start exploring the city is at the Former Governor's Palace, which stands majestically at the western end of Harnet Ave. Built in 1897…

7. Odeon Cinema

1.4 MILES

Just off Harnet Ave near the EriTel building, the quirky Odeon Cinema and its attractive art deco exterior from the late 1930s is all but closed, so you…

8. Opera House

1.5 MILES

The Opera House, completed around 1920, is one of Asmara's most elegant early–20th-century buildings. It's free to have a look around during the resident…