Massawa: the Ottoman pearl of the Eritrean Red Sea

A historic Ottoman and Egyptian port on the Red Sea, Massawa preserves a historic center in Arab-Turkish style built on islands connected by dikes.

The center, called the Ottoman pearl of the Red Sea, can be comfortably visited on foot among colonial architecture.

The Imperial Palace of Massawa, an Ottoman and later Italian residence facing the harbor, remains one of the old city's most imposing historic structures.

A short walk away, the Great Mosque of Massawa, in Ottoman style with white domes, dominates the profile of the city built on a coral island.

Walking along the harbor, you pass among Arab-Turkish style houses of the old city, with hand-carved wooden balconies still visible despite war damage.

As evening arrives, the coral reefs off Massawa, among the least explored in the Red Sea, offer diving in still-pristine waters.

Massawa was severely damaged during the Eritrean War of Independence in the 1980s, and much of the Ottoman historic center still awaits complete restoration after decades of conflict.

The Red Sea coral reef off Massawa remains among the least visited in the world despite exceptional marine biodiversity, due to the limited tourism development of the country, a factor that preserves its natural integrity.