The National Museum of Eritrea was inaugurated in 1992 by Woldeab Woldemariam

Woldeab Woldemariam

Woldeab Woldemariam also spelled as Weldeab Weldemariam was one of the original proponents of the Eritrean Independence movement and is considered the father of Eritrea...

. The Museum was originally located in the former Governor's Palace

Governor's Palace (Asmara)

The current City Hall of Asmara, called now the Governor's Palace of Asmara, Eritrea, is an Italian "art-deco" building in the city centre.The former Italian government's palace was built in 1897 by Fernando Martini, the first Italian governor of Eritrea...

 until it was moved in 1997. It has since been moved to the former Comboni Sisters School for Women.

The function of the National Museum of Eritrea

Eritrea

Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...

 is to promote Eritrean history and to present it to people of Eritrea. Furthermore it is to investigate new archaeological sites and explore the history of Eritrea. In 1996, Eritrea nominated these five sites to be considered as UNESCO

UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...

 World Heritage Sites: Adulis

Adulis

Adulis or Aduli is an archeological site in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, about 30 miles south of Massawa. It was the port of the Kingdom of Aksum, located on the coast of the Red Sea. Adulis Bay is named after the port...

, Dahlak Kebir

Dahlak Kebir

Dahlak Kebir is the largest island of the Dahlak Archipelago. Situated in the Red Sea off of the coast of Eritrea, it was formerly called Dahlak Deset.-Overview:Dahlak Kebir has a population of around 2,500 people speaking Dahlik...

, Matara

Matara, Eritrea

Matara is an archaeological site in Eritrea. Situated a few kilometers south of Senafe, it was a major city in the Dʿmt and Aksumite kingdoms. Since Eritrean independence, the National Museum of Eritrea has petitioned the Ethiopian government to return artifacts removed from the site...

, Nakfa

Nakfa, Eritrea

Nakfa is a town in northern Eritrea, after which the nakfa currency is named. It served as the base for the Eritrean People's Liberation Front, during the Eritrean War of Independence....

, Qohaito

Qohaito

Qohaito was a pre-Aksumite city that thrived during the Aksumite period. Located over 2,500 meters above sea level in the Debub region of Eritrea, on a high plateau at the very edge of the edge of the great Rift Valley, , Qohaito's ruins have yet to be excavated...

.