Day 343 - Keren Camel Market

Camels of Keren

Jewel, Tom,* a roving consular officer, and I traveled to the city of Keren, the second largest city in Ethiopia, to see the camel market. We made the trip on a Monday, a federal holiday and the only day of the week the camel market was held. Keren is in the largely Muslim, largely Arabic-speaking portion of Eritrea, located about 50 miles northwest of Asmara. It is within the circumference from the center of Asmara that the Eritrean government permitted foreigners to travel at that time without first obtaining approval. The government occasionally placed additional restrictions which had the effect of preventing the UN forces in the country from reaching the disputed border areas, usually in response to perceived preference for the Ethiopian position by the U.S. or other Western powers. Since I left Eritrea, the government has cracked down further. Now foreigners are not allowed to travel at all outside of the capital without first obtaining approval. Approval is rarely granted, a reason the State Department has advised against travel to any points outside of Asmara.

The camel market could have been in Yemen for all the Arabic spoken there and for the traditional clothing worn by the men there. I asked some of the men if I could take photos of the camels, showing them what I could see through the viewfinder of my camera. They were amused by seeing the camels through the camera and agreed I could take the photos.

Camels lounged around in the walled area of the market, allowing us to get very close to them for

Working camel in Keren

photos of one another with the camels. My camera was digital, with a very large viewfinder window that allowed anyone behind me to see nearly as well as I could. While I couldn't see the crowd gathering behind me, Jewel and the TDY consular officer could. I took photos, and they stood back and watched, laughing. They assured me they had taken photos of me with the gathering crowd behind me, but I still haven't seen any. I just have lots of photos of camels, including many with me. Cattle, donkeys, mules, goats and sheep are also on display and sale in the camel market.

Camels and donkeys still outnumber cars in Keren.

Keren has a number of other markets as well, including a silver market where filigree jewelry in traditional Eritrean Christian designs was for sale. Keren is also one of the agricultural centers of Eritrea, providing produce for the local market. And a wood market along the dry riverbed where camels can also be seen attracts people from the region.

St. Maryam Deari Chapel

Keren was the regular site of battles during World War II and the Eritrean War of Independence. Cemeteries for Italian and British soldiers are within the city. A number of religious sites including a Romanesque Catholic church and an ornate mosque as well as an Islamic mausoleum provide interesting sightseeing. There are many examples of Italian and Ethiopian colonial buildings. But by far the most interesting site in Keren is St. Maryam Deari Chapel which is located inside a baobab tree.

In 1878 the Daughters of the Sisters of Charity placed a statue of the Virgin Mary inside the tree to provide a place for the workers in the nearby agricultural area of the Catholic mission to worship during the day. In 1941 during the two months when Italian Forces fought against the Allies in Keren, several Italian soldiers hid inside the tree during a battle. The tree was hit by a bomb but the soldiers inside were not injured in spite of the fact that the hole through which the bomb entered the tree is still visible. Other miraculous occurrences nearby were reported including people who bathed in a nearby stream being healed and barren women who prayed at the chapel later conceiving. By the 1950s, the chapel's reputation had grown so that it became a popular prayer and meditation center.

Keren is also the place I met another jewel in Eritrea. More about her later.

*a name, not necessarily the right one