The production of ornamented craft, and the
making of forms and space, gives joy to human feeling, touch and
emotion to the building. The fact that Gel'alo building is first of
its kind in the area makes it more remarkable.
The Gel'alo
building is meant to serve domestic and foreign tourists. Gel'alo is
situated 130 km away from Massawa, one of Eritrea's portsIt has
about 25,000 residents mostly farmers and fishers. It is
administrated under the Southern Red Sea Zoba.
Gel'alo Building is
found 1 km away from the town close to the sea. It is built in a
rocky sea-side location in the eastern out-skirt of the town. It has
41 rooms and 16 restrooms. It is built at a cost of Nfa 9.7
million.It is built mostly from stone crafted with great care. The
manpower comprised members of national service under the
Warsai-Yikalo campaign. Hence if these were paid, the building would
have cost a fortune.
The gate is made of
four pillars. The entrance is made of metal with eye catching
structure decorated perfectly to feet the building.
In front of the
gate lays a composition which shows current Eritrean map done
according to delineations by the boundary commission between Eritrea
and Ethiopia. The boundary was delineated at the time the
construction of the building began. The map was put there to show
that the border verdict has finally been made and also for the
remembrance of those who have sacrificed their life for the
independence of the country and to safeguard the sovereignty of
their motherland, Eritrea.
Right above the new
Eritrean map sits a tortoise statue. This was made to show the slow
but successful stride the nation is making. It perfectly explains
the patience of the nation in all aspects. The wise steps taken to
find a peaceful resolution for the conflict between Eritrea and
Ethiopia is one example.
The main building
is semicircle. It encloses many pillars and long corridors. The
building contains conference room, dinning room which can serve many
people at once, parking area and other important quarters. In
addition, each room has its own kitchen and bathroom. It is
surrounded by flowers of different colors and trees of diverse type
grace the building.
There is also a statue of one member of
defense force standing at the center of a fountain at the back of
the main building. This statue is built for the commemoration of
those who participated in the building work. The person is carrying
a big stone on his shoulder and all his weapons are placed right by
his side. The stone in his shoulder shows that the public are ready
to rebuild their nation when the country is in relative peace under
the slogan 'zeal in safeguarding the nation, zeal in rebuilding the
nation'.
On the left side of the building rests a sculpture
of a candle standing on a block. The names, date of joining the
struggle, and date of martyrdom of some of the first founders of the
struggle for independence are neatly engraved. They have put the
candle high so that it can be seen from every corner.
The
candle is there to remind us of those who have sacrificed their
lives for the independence of the country and those who are martyred
to safeguard the countries sovereignty. In June 20 of this year,
'martyrs day', the citizens of the town walked to that place
carrying candles.
The building is
handed to the Ministry Of Tourism upon its completion. In addition,
the sea is rich in various kinds of fishes and sea plants and
animals.
Moreover, the Massawa-Assab road is being asphalted
making the area accessible to travelers and businessmen.
Even though the building has not become operational yet, a
lot of people from inside and out side the country arrive to see the
building and admire it.