Assab was Italy's first colonial foothold in Africa — the port was acquired from a local sultan in 1869 by the Rubattino Shipping Company, and later transferred to the Italian state. The Italian colonial presence left its mark in the older parts of the city, where you can still find buildings with the characteristic arched loggias and rendered facades of Italian East African architecture.
The Italian quarter is modest by the standards of Asmara — Assab never had the resources or the attention that the highland capital received — but walking its streets gives you a clear sense of the layered history of this remote coast. The heat is considerable; early morning is the best time to explore on foot.