The Eritrean Orthodox cathedral of Enda Mariam was built between 1917 and 1920 in a hybrid style: the round-arched arcaded courtyard and bell tower borrow from Italian Lombard tradition, while the central church takes the form of a traditional highland Eritrean monastery, with whitewashed walls, painted wooden doors, and a peaked roof.
Inside, the walls are covered with brightly painted scenes from the Old and New Testaments in the unmistakable style of Eritrean and Ethiopian church painting — wide-eyed saints, geometric backgrounds, big patches of red and yellow. Visitors can usually enter outside service times; modest dress required and shoes off.