Keren grew around the Eritrean Railway to Asmara .
Attractions in the city include the nineteenth-century Tigu Egyptian fort, the St Maryam Deari chapel, lying in a baobab tree, the 1920s former railway station, the old mosque, Sayed Bakri Mausoleum, British Army and Italian Army cemeteries and local markets. The nearby sixth century Debre Sina monastery is also known for its cave dwellings.
