Massawa is both an island in the Red Sea, and a major city of Eritrea. The city covers both the island, the island of Taulud, and a portion of the mainland where the majority of the inhabitants of Massawa live. On the island of Taulud are situated the old railway station, St Mariam's Cathedral and the Imperial Palace.

Massawa was once the largest and safest port on the east coast of Africa, and as the largest deep-water port on the Red Sea was the headquarters of the Ethiopian navy. However, the city suffered considerable damage during the war of independence from Ethiopia, but is currently being rebuilt by the Eritrean government.