StoryThe history of Eritrea is complex, fascinating, mesmerizing and gripping. Those that lived through it should tell their stories. Zantana works towards accomplishing that.
StoryThe story of an Eritrean freedom fighter on a night mission into the city of Asmara where he was forced to confront his strong emotions of longing and nostalgia
StoryTranslation of the Song - "Libey" (My Heart) by Bereket Mengesteab; Bereket sings for Eritrea as a young weyzerit (Miss) raised in places throughout the country
StorySong - "ዓደየ ዓደየ" My Country, My Country by Yishak Tewoldemedhin; a beloved children's song written by one of Eritrea's prominent educators
StoryWoldeab Woldemariam wrote a warm letter as a eulogy for his friend and comrade Ibrahim Sultan remembering their eventful struggle for Eritrean independence.
StoryWhere is Eritrea? How did it come to be a country? Key events in the ancient, colonial and revolutionary History of Eritrea.
"Every Eritrean is a hero in many stories."
Zantana — meaning our story in Tigrinya — is an initiative to collect and archive personal Eritrean stories set against the vivid backdrop of an extraordinary history. Every individual experience deserves to be heard in its own right.
The Country
Eritrea sits in North East Africa at the tip of the Horn, bordered by Sudan, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. Its 600 miles of Red Sea coastline made it one of the ancient world's most coveted trading shores — and shaped every chapter of its history since.
From ancient empires and medieval kingdoms to Ottoman ports and Italian colonisation, its geography has always been both its greatest asset and the source of centuries of conflict.
The Context
To understand the stories, you first need to know the land — its ancient kingdoms, its long colonial night, and the people who endured it all.
Ancient History
Long before colonial borders were drawn, the ancient port of Adulis linked the Aksumite Empire to Rome, Arabia, and India. Eritrea's highlands and coastline were the crossroads of civilisations for over two millennia — home to kingdoms that traded with the known world.
Explore Ancient StoriesColonial History
From Ottoman ports and Egyptian garrisons to the Italian colony declared on 1 January 1890, modern Eritrea was forged through centuries of foreign occupation and fierce local resistance. The story of how one nation endures is written in every corner of its land.
Explore Colonial StoriesEvery story on Zantana is anchored in four dimensions — who tells it, when it happened, where it unfolded, & the world that shaped it.
