The Ottoman Empire’s forgotten struggle to control the strategic coastline of the Red Sea

Wars & Conflicts · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Between 1557 and 1589, the Ottoman Empire waged a persistent, complex war against the Ethiopian Empire. Driven by the need to secure the hajj and counter Portuguese influence, the Ottomans attempted to project power into the Horn of Africa, ultimately discovering that holding territory there was far harder than expected.

The Ottoman–Ethiopian War began in 1557 when Özdemir Pasha captured the port of Massawa and the regional capital of Debarwa. The Ottomans sought to secure the Red Sea, a vital artery for the hajj, and to preempt Portuguese control over the region’s ports. By establishing a presence in Habesh, the Ottomans aimed to bolster their influence in the Indian Ocean, despite their navy being in its infancy. Their strategy relied heavily on land forces to capture key coastal and inland staging points, hoping to create a buffer against European encroachment.

As the conflict deepened, the Ottomans shifted from direct invasion to a strategy of divide and rule, exploiting internal Ethiopian political fractures. They frequently backed rebellious local leaders, such as Bahr Negus Yeshaq, who promised to cede territory in exchange for military support. This approach mirrored Ottoman tactics in the Balkans, necessitated by limited manpower and competing priorities in the Mediterranean and against the Safavids. However, this reliance on local proxies proved volatile, as alliances shifted rapidly with the changing tides of Ethiopian imperial power.

The war reached a decisive turn under Emperor Sarsa Dengel, who systematically dismantled Ottoman territorial ambitions. Following a series of defeats, including the Battle of Addi Qarro in 1589 where the Ottoman commander Ahmad Pasha was killed, the Ottomans abandoned their inland holdings. By 1591, the region was relegated to the jurisdiction of local Beja Na'ibs, who paid tribute to the Ottomans while maintaining a small garrison at Massawa. This transition marked the end of direct Ottoman expansionism in the region, leaving them with limited control over coastal enclaves rather than the expansive province they had initially envisioned.

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