Sawākin (Suakin, سواكن)

Sawākin was Sudan's only port, until the British founded Port Sudan, 50 km to the north in 1905. For three decades both ports were used, but in the 1930s the British abandoned Sawākin altogether and the city started decaying.

Nowadays, Sawākin is full dilapidated coral houses, but it is still an interesting place to wander around in. It seems to be inhabited mostly by cats. The coral that was used to construct the buildings was taken from the sea-bad. Since the buildings had no plaster covering, they quickly decayed.

Sawākin has excellent beaches and the Red Sea is a magnificent place for scuba diving and snorkeling. Sawākin is on an island, which is connected to the mainland by a causeway. There is not much accommodation in town. Sawākin is 630 km northeast of Khartoum. It has daily ferry connections with Jiddah (Jedda) in Saudi Arabia.