At the centre of the Piazza degli Incendi (meaning 'Square of the Fire', after it was the scene of a great fire in 1885) is the Sheikh Hanafi Mosque. At over 500 years old, this mosque is one of the oldest surviving structures in the city. Sheikh Hanafi was a great teacher, who funded his students' studies in Egypt. The courtyard is decorated with stucco-work and inside hangs a remarkable chandelier from the glass works of Murano near Venice in Italy.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.49 MILES
Overlooking the harbour just north of the gates of the Dahlak Hotel is the Imperial Palace, the original iteration of which was built by the Turkish…
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House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari
0.16 MILES
The ancient House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari was built with magnificent soaring Ottoman-style windows on every side. Unfortunately they are particularly…
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26.58 MILES
Adulis was once the primary port of the Aksumite empire and a few impressive architectural remnants of this heritage remain. Most notable is the…
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0.99 MILES
Green Island is 10 to 20 minutes from Massawa and is the most accessible place for decent snorkelling and tolerable beaches. It's certainly no Bora Bora,…
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0.22 MILES
As you come over the causeway from Taulud Island, a broad sweep of white, arcaded palazzi (palaces) stretches out before you. On the corner you'll see the…
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0.05 MILES
A remarkable example of Turkish Ottoman architecture with its mashrabiyya (trellised) balcony, which allowed cool breezes to enter and the air inside to…
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0.18 MILES
At the port entrance, this is a good example of a 17th-century house constructed of coral-block, which for centuries was the preferred local building…
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0.14 MILES
On the far end of the northern coastal road from the causeway, you'll see the Banco d'Italia, a ramshackle copy of the 1920s original and a mishmash of…
Nearby Eritrea attractions
0.05 MILES
A remarkable example of Turkish Ottoman architecture with its mashrabiyya (trellised) balcony, which allowed cool breezes to enter and the air inside to…
0.06 MILES
Though now reflecting little of its former glory, the ancient roof of this market – in the Turkish style – was beamed like an upturned boat; there are…
0.11 MILES
In a square beside the Banco d'Italia is a rare example of a Turkish house with a domed roof, now partially restored and serving food and drinks out of a…
0.12 MILES
A huge square lined on all sides by houses with trellised balconies, finely carved wooden doors, and shutters of Turkish or Egyptian origin. Local…
0.13 MILES
Founded in the 11th century but rebuilt several times since, the decorated coral-block facade of this mosque just south of the Banco d'Italia ruins is…
0.14 MILES
On the far end of the northern coastal road from the causeway, you'll see the Banco d'Italia, a ramshackle copy of the 1920s original and a mishmash of…
7. House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari
0.16 MILES
The ancient House of Mammub Mohammed Nahari was built with magnificent soaring Ottoman-style windows on every side. Unfortunately they are particularly…
0.17 MILES
Though the identity of Sheikh Durbush is lost to time, the tomb is thought to date back to the 16th century. It's sometimes possible to ask at the small…