Ottoman Conquest of Massawa

Background. Massawa is a port city in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea. It had previously been occupied by the Portuguese in 1513, who used it as a foothold to enter allied Ethiopian territory. The city had a history of being ruled by various polities, including the Dahlak Sultanate and later the Ottoman Empire.

The Conquest. Özdemir Pasha, an Ottoman general of Kumyk Turkic or Circassian descent, led an expedition in 1555 with 4,000 to 5,000 men. He captured Sawakin and subsequently took Massawa, which fell in 1557. This event significantly increased the city's prominence and solidified Ottoman control over the strategic Red Sea port.

Aftermath. Following the capture, Özdemir Pasha built a customs house and fortifications in Massawa, leaving the port under the command of an Agha of a Janissary troop. The Ottomans attempted to make Massawa the capital of Habesh Eyalet and placed local administration under a Balaw aristocrat appointed as Naib.