Massawa
Historical depiction of Massawa
Massawa Location within Eritrea
Coordinates: 15°36′33″N 39°26′43″E / 15.60917, 39.44528
Country	Eritrea
Region	Northern Red Sea
District	Massawa
Government
- Administrator	Fana Tesfamariam
Elevation	63 m (207 ft)
Population (2004)[1]
- Total	36,700
Time zone	EAT (UTC+3)

Massawa, formerly known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋ miṣṣiwa, Arabic مصوع maṣṣawaʿ, Italian Massaua) and Batsiʿ (Ge'ez ባጽዕ bāṣiʿ, [Eritrean spelling reform], formerly ባፅዕ bāṣ́iʿ) or Badi (Arabic بِضع baḍiʿ) is a port on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in The Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea is one of the country's six regions. The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. The metre or meter is a unit of Length. It is the basic unit of Length in the Metric system and in the International A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit East Africa Time, or EAT, is a time zone used in eastern Africa. UTC+3 is used in the following locations Moscow Time Eastern European Summer Time West Asian Summer Time Ge'ez (gez ግዕዝ) also called Ethiopic, is an Abugida script that was originally developed to write Ge'ez, a Semitic language The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing several languages of Asia and Africa such as Arabic, Persian, and Urdu. Italian ( or lingua italiana) is a Romance language spoken by about 63 million people as a First language, primarily in Italy. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in Important for many centuries, it has been colonised by Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, Italy, Britain and finally Ethiopia until 1991. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page It became the capital of the Italian colony of Eritrea until this was moved to Asmara in 1900. Asmara (English ( Ge'ez: ኣስመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in أسمرا Asmaraa

History

Massawa is first mentioned in the Royal Chronicle of Emperor Yeshaq of Ethiopia, when the Emperor's deputy stationed there revolted in the 15th century. The Emperor ( Ge'ez: ንጉሠ ነገሥት nəgusä nägäst " King of Kings " of Ethiopia was the hereditary Yeshaq I or Isaac ( Ge'ez ይሥሓቅ yisḥāḳ, Amh yishāḳ; throne name Gabra Masqal II ገብረ መስቀል NOTE This intro is the result of careful NPOV work Please do not make potentially controversial edits to it without first discussing on the talk page ^[2] For most of its history, it was little more than a seaside village, lying in lands that pertained to the Kingdom of Axum in ancient times and overshadowed by the nearby port of Adulis about 50 km to the south. Axum, or Aksum, is a City in northern Ethiopia named after the Kingdom of Aksum, a naval and trading power that ruled from the region ca Adulis is an archeological site in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, about 30 miles south of Massawa. Following the fall of Axum in the 8th century, the area around Massawa became embattled by the Islamic forces emerging in the region (Arabs and later Beja peoples) and mutually rival post-Axumite christian forces from the region of Ethiopia. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding In this time, Eritrea's oldest mosque, the Sheikh Hanafi mosque, was built on Massawa Island along with several other works of early islamic architecture both in and around Massawa (in the Dahlak archipelago and Zula peninsula). Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in Zula (ዙላ is a small town in Eritrea near the head of Annesley Bay (also known as the Bay of Zula on the African coast of the Red Sea

Venetian Merchants were said to have lived here and in Suakin in the 15th century.

Massawa became prominent in the late 16th century when it was captured by the Ottoman Empire in 1557, who made it the capital of Habesh, a province intended to cover all of Ethiopia but remained mainly around what is now Eritrea. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Habesh (Habeş / Hebeşe was an Ottoman province that bordered the Red Sea. Eritrea () ( Ge'ez: ኤርትራ ʾErtrā, Arabic: إرتريا Iritriya) officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in Under Özdemur Pasha Ottoman troops then attempted to conquer the rest of Eritrea and the province of Tigray in Ethiopia. Due to resistance, as well as military demands in the Mediterranean and on the border with Persia, the Ottoman authorities placed the city and its immediate hinterlands under the control of one of the aristocrats of the Beja people, whom they appointed Naib of Massawa and answerable to the Ottoman governor at Suakin. The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia The Beja (البيجا are an ethnic group dwelling in parts of North Africa and the Horn of Africa. Suakin is a port in north eastern Sudan, on the Red Sea. It was formerly the region's chief port on the Red Sea but is now a secondary port to Port Sudan ^[3] The Ottomans nevertheless built the old town of Massawa on Massawa Island into a prominent port on the Red Sea in typical Islamic Ottoman architecture using dry corals for walls, roof and foundation as well as imported wood for beams, window shutters and balconies. These buildings and the old town of Massawa remain to this day despite having weathered both earthquakes and wars including aerial bombardment.

During the 19th century, along with much of the African coast of the Red Sea, Massawa was ruled by Egypt with Ottoman consent. The Red Sea is a Salt water Inlet of the Indian Ocean between Africa and Asia. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Following the Egyptian defeat at the Battle of Gura, Egyptian control of the port withered, and with the help of the British, Massawa came under Italian control as part of their colony of Eritrea in 1885. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. In 1921 most of the City and Port of Massawa was destroyed by the Massawa Earthquake; the ports were unable to fully recover until 1928,^[4] hampering the Italian colonial ambitions. The 1921 Massawa Earthquake was a seismic movement that took place off the coast of Massawa, Eritrea on 1921-08-14. The Italian colonialists had nevertheless built Massawa to become the largest and safest port on the east coast of Africa, and the largest deep-water port on the Red Sea.

Italy was allied to the Axis powers during World War II and Massawa was the homeport for the Red Sea Flotilla of the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina). The Axis powers also known as the Axis alliance Axis nations Axis countries or sometimes just the Axis were those Countries World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Red Sea Flotilla was a unit of the Italian Royal Navy (''Regia Marina'' based in Massawa, Eritria, when Massawa was part of Italian East Africa The Regia Marina ( Italian Royal Navy) dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification. When the city fell during the East African Campaign, a large number of Italian and German ships were sunk in an attempt to block Allied use of the harbor of Massawa. The East African Campaign refers to the battles fought in East Africa during World War II. In general allies are people groups or nations that have joined together in an association for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose

In 1942, the ships were salvaged and the port was returned to service by United States Navy Captain Edward Ellsberg as part of what had now become the British protectorate of Eritrea. Rear Admiral Edward Ellsberg, OBE ( November 21, 1891 - January 24, 1983) was an officer in the United States Navy In 1945, following the end of World War II, the port of Massawa suffered damage as the occupying British either dismantled or destroyed much of the facilities. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including These actions were protested by Sylvia Pankhurst in her book Eritrea on the Eve. Estelle Sylvia Pankhurst ( May 5, 1882 September 27, 1960) was a notable campaigner for the Suffragette movement in the United ^[5]

From 1952 to 1990, when Eritrea entered into a federation with Ethiopia, previously landlocked Ethiopia briefly enjoyed the use of Massawa as the headquarters of the now defunct Ethiopian Navy. Ultimately Ethiopia dismantled the federation and forcibly annexed and occupied Eritrea. This led to the Eritrean War of Independence (1961-1991). The Eritrean War of Independence ( 1 September 1961 - 29 May 1991) was a conflict fought between the Ethiopian government and Eritrean In February 1990, units of the Eritrean People's Liberation Front captured Massawa in a surprise attack from both land and sea. Overview February was named after the Latin term februum, which means purification, via the purification ritual Februa held on February 15 in the Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF was an armed organization that fought for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia. The success of this attack cut the major supply line to the Second Ethiopian Army in Asmara, which then had to be supplied by air. Asmara (English ( Ge'ez: ኣስመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in أسمرا Asmaraa In response, the then leader of Ethiopia Mengistu Haile Mariam ordered Massawa bombed from the air, resulting in considerable damage, although as of 2005 this is currently being rebuilt by the Eritrean government. Mengistu Haile Mariam (መንግስቱ ኃይለ ማርያም məngɨstu hi lə maryam (born 1937 a repression campaign against the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party and

With Eritrea's defacto independence (complete military liberation) in 1991, Ethiopia reverted to being landlocked and its Navy was dismantled (partially taken over by the nascent national navy of Eritrea).

Other features

An example of Ottoman architecture in the old section of Massawa, Eritrea. Ottoman architecture is the Architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries

Massawa is also home to a naval base, large dhow docks, the Massawa International Airport and a railway line to Asmara. A naval dockyard is a Dockyard that primarily serves a Navy. See also Military base Royal Navy Dockyards A dhow ( Arabic, دهو) is a traditional Arab sailing vessel with one or more Lateen Sails They are primarily used along A dock (from Dutch 'dok' is a man-made feature involved in the handling of boats or ships Massawa International Airport, is an Airport in Massawa, a major city in the Northern Red Sea Region of Eritrea. The Eritrean Railway is the only Railway system in Eritrea, constructed between 1887 and 1932 Asmara (English ( Ge'ez: ኣስመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in أسمرا Asmaraa Ferries sail to the Dahlak Islands and nearby Green Island. See also Merchant ship A ferry is a form of transport usually a Boat or Ship, used to carry (or ferry) passengers and The Dahlak Archipelago is an Island group located in the Red Sea near Massawa, Eritrea.

Notable buildings in the city include the shrine of Sahaba^[6] and the fifteenth century Sheikh Hanafi Mosque and various houses of coral. In Islam, the Ṣaḥābah (الصحابة "Companions" were the companions of the Islamic prophet Muḥammad. Corals are Marine organisms from the class Anthozoa and exist as small Sea anemone –like Polyps typically in colonies of many Many Ottoman buildings survive, such as the bazaar. Ottoman architecture is the Architecture of the Ottoman Empire which emerged in Bursa and Edirne in 14th and 15th centuries A bazaar ( بازار) (pazar is a permanent merchandising area Marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold Later buildings include the Imperial Palace, built in 1872 to 1874 for Werner Munzinger; St Mariam Cathedral; the 1930s Villa Melotti and the 1920s Banco d'Italia. Werner Munzinger ( Olten, Switzerland, 1832 - Awsa, current Djibouti, 7 November 1875) was a Swiss administrator The 1930s were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression. The 1920s is sometimes referred to as the " Jazz Age " or the " Roaring Twenties " when speaking about the United States and Canada The Eritrean War of Independence is commemorated in a memorial of three tanks in the middle of Massawa. A memorial is an object which serves as a memory of something usually a person (who has died or an event A tank is a tracked, Armoured fighting vehicle designed for Front-line combat which combines Operational mobility and tactical

References

1. ^ de la Peña, Maria E. (August 2006). Identification and evaluation of reuse-oriented sanitation concepts for Massawa, Eritrea. Retrieved on 2007-05-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned
2. ^ Huntingford, G. W. B. ; Pankhurst, Richard; Appleyard, David (1989). The Historical Geography of Ethiopia: From the First Century AD to 1704. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-726055-1.  
3. ^ Richard Pankhurst, The Ethiopian borderlands (Lawrenceville: Red Sea Press, 1997), p. 270.
4. ^ Killion, Tom (1998). Historical Dictionary of Eritrea. The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-3437-5.  
5. ^ Also detailed in the chapter "The Feminist Fuzzy-Wuzzy" of Michela Wong's I didn't do it for you: how the world betrayed a small African nation (New York: Harper-Perennial, 2005), pp. 116-150.
6. ^ Gebremedhin, Naigzy; Denison, Edward; Ren, Guang Yu (2005). Massawa: A Guide to the Built Environment. Asmara: Francescana Printing Press. Asmara (English ( Ge'ez: ኣስመራ Asmera, formerly known as Asmera, or in أسمرا Asmaraa