Massawa

Massawa
Arabic: مصوع
Məṣṣəwaʿ (ምጽዋዕ)
Mitsiwa
City
Clockwise from top:
Port of Massawa, Administration building, Shiekh Hamaal Mosque, St Mariam Orthodox Cathedral Church, Massawa Island causeway
Motto: 
Tigrinya: ሉል ቀይሕ ባሕሪ Pearl of the Red Sea
Massawa
Location within Eritrea
Massawa
Location within the Horn of Africa
Massawa
Location within Africa
Coordinates: 15°36′35″N 39°27′00″E / 15.60972°N 39.45000°E / 15.60972; 39.45000
Country Eritrea
RegionSemienawi Keyih Bahri Region
DistrictMassawa
Government
 • AdministratorKidane Weldesilase
Area
 • Total
477 km2 (184 sq mi)
Elevation
6 m (20 ft)
Population
 (2012)
 • Total
53,090
 • Density110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+3 (EAT)
Area code+291 4
ClimateBWh

Massawa or Mitsiwa (/məˈsɑːwə/ mə-SAH-wə) is a port city in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea, located on the Red Sea at the northern end of the Gulf of Zula beside the Dahlak Archipelago. It has been a historically important port for many centuries. Massawa has been ruled or occupied by a succession of polities during its history, including the Dahlak Sultanate, the Ottoman Empire, the Khedive of Egypt and the Kingdom of Italy.

Massawa was the capital of the Italian Colony of Eritrea until the seat of the colonial government was moved to Asmara in 1897.

Massawa has an average temperature of nearly 30 °C (86.0 °F), which is one of the highest experienced in the world, and is "one of the hottest marine coastal areas in the world."

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