“Days Gone By” invites you to step back in time and revisit a nostalgic, often overlooked era — from the post-war years of 1941 through to the early 1970s. It was a golden age of hope, optimism, and joy, yet one increasingly overshadowed by political uncertainty and upheaval.
A picturesque Kodachrome colour postcard of central Asmara, photographed in the early 1960s, before the city’s final switch to right-hand traffic in 1964 and the onset of political repression following Ethiopia’s annexation of Eritrea in 1962.
Swinging Asmara
By the 1960s and early 1970s, a new generation of young Eritrean Asmarini — Asmarino (male) and Asmarina (female) — had emerged: modern, urban, and reflective of the city’s changing social and cultural landscape. Shaped by Asmara’s cosmopolitan atmosphere, they lived alongside Italian Asmarini and other established communities, all navigating the city’s shared urban spaces. It was a time of dreams, optimism, and political defiance, when students’ protests, music, sport, cinema, fashion, cafés, and nightclubs pulsed with the rhythm of change, cultural expression, and freedom.
A typical street scene in down town “Combishtato” — the Tigrinya adaptation of the Italian Campo Cintato.
A bygone era of music, nightclubs, fashion, football, cycling, car racing, and politics.
Memorable nightclubs and cultural venues that left a lasting mark on popular Asmarino culture and nightlife during the 1960s and 1970s.
Legendary Haile Ghebru & Zerai Deres Band — the most celebrated musical group(’60s -’70s), whose music shaped a generation. Watch on YouTube.
The Imperials, whose electrifying performances at popular venures became part of Asmara’s golden age of music and nightlife. Watch on YouTube.
From Eritrean music legends and Italian pop icons to global rock and soul stars, these artists helped shape a generation of Asmarini. View more on Facebook.
The Golden Age of Football
Rivalries of the 1960s and early 1970s: the matches between Hamassien FC (Asmara) and Embasoira FC (Akele Guzai) brought Eritrean football to memorable heights at Cicero Stadium — a period of strong passion, pride, and intense competition, reflecting both the excitement and complexities of the era.
Hammassien Legends — Back row from left: Fenili (Manager), Abraham, Yemane, Yohannes (Joker), Bokre, Berket and Mehari. Front row: Tesfagiorgis, Seyoum, Abdulrahman (Pacé) , Mokonnen and Ismail.
Embasoira Legends — Back row from left: goalkeeper Elias Mario (2nd from left) and the legendary attacker Ahmed Abdella (“Wedi Abdella”) (far right). Front row includes Ellé (subject to confirmation).
kagnew Station
The large U.S. communications and radio surveillance base, Kagnew Station, brought thousands of American personnel to the city from the 1950s through the early 1970s. It contributed to employment, imports, and cultural exchange, and provided access to recreational facilities and community events. Its presence also reflected the broader regional, geopolitical, and social dynamics of the period.
Main gate of Kagnew Station.
Memorable TV series aired from Kagnew Station.
Motor Racing
“The famous and long-established Asmara Circuit (“Circuito Asmara”) was held on the city’s main streets, featuring racing cars such as Abarth, Porsche and Alfa Romeo. The circuit remained active until 1972, when the final known race — the Gran Premio Automobilistico Expo ’72 — marked the end of car racing in Asmara during the years of the Eritrean Civil War. Following Eritrea’s independence, the event was revived in the 1990s.
Cycling
The 1960s and early 1970s marked a formative era in which Eritrean cycling consolidated as a mass urban culture, having come a long way since the colonial period of racial exclusion and laying the foundations for future generations of cyclists. Today, cycling stands as a defining expression of Eritrean identity, resilience, and international sporting success.
Eritrean cyclists at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. From left to right: Yemane Negassi (No. 1), the legendary Carmelo Saglimbeni (No. 3), Fessehazion Ghebreyesus (No. 2), and Solomon Embaye (No. 4).
Legendary Eritrean cyclist Woldu Tekeste (aka “Gigante”), who inspired a generation in the late 1960s and early 1970s, competed in international cycling tournaments and Olympic Games.
Boxing and Weight Lifting
The celebrated boxer Ghebresellasie Frezghi and weightlifter Mohammed Hagos became sporting icons, popularising their respective pursuits through remarkable achievements at home and abroad.
Welterweight Ghebresellasie Frezghi, whose perfect physique and notable victories in Italy marked a distinguished career that ended in 1959.
Weightlifting champion Mohammed Hagos, a pioneer of bodybuilding who encouraged youth to embrace discipline, unity, and healthy living through sport.
The Lido in Massawa (1950s–1960s)
The Lido (Il Lido) in Massawa, overlooking the open sea, was more than a swimming venue — it was a summer ritual where Asmarini and Massawini gathered during the long school holidays, drawn by the salt-kissed breeze of the Red Sea, the shimmering blue water, and the relentless coastal sun. Friends reunited between swims and long afternoons under the sun, while laughter echoed across the concrete decks and bodies plunged into the cool, salty piscina fed directly by the sea. Those days felt like they would never end.
The Lido pool with wide steps descending into the seawater, a shaded veranda overlooking the open sea as it meets the coastline, and the low diving platform (trampolino basso).
From Hotel Savoia overlooking the harbour at sunrise, the breezy morning air drifts in as seagulls hover in the sky, their cries echoing over the water as they dive to catch fish below.
Asmara Expo
First held in 1969, the Asmara Expo was a landmark event that showcased Eritrea’s industry, commerce, and cultural life through large-scale carnivals, trade fairs, historical exhibitions, and a beauty pageant. Inaugurated by Emperor Haile Selassie and attended by foreign diplomats and dignitaries, it embodied the confidence, prosperity, and cosmopolitan spirit of a bygone era.
The Melloti Pavilion — showcasing Asmara’s signature beer — was among the many temporary structures and attractions that brought the Expo grounds to life.
Zewdi Arya (10 February 1951 – 24 May 2026), winner of the 1969 Expo beauty pageant, went on to pursue a successful career in modelling and acting.