Ports & Harbours of the eastern Mediterranean
YearMaps maps 60 harbours on the eastern Mediterranean, in 11 countries and territories. The largest by the World Port Index's harbour size are Damietta, Baniyas, Mersin, Tarabulus, Banghazi and Haifa. 3 are written up in full below, and every harbour is listed with its depths, tidal range and the largest ships it takes.
East of Sicily and south of the Aegean, the Mediterranean reaches the shores of Libya, Egypt, the Levant, Cyprus and southern Turkey. Phoenician Tyre and Sidon, Ptolemaic Alexandria and the crusader ports of Acre and Jaffa all traded here, and since 1869 the Suez Canal at Port Said has joined the sea to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The southern coasts of Sicily, Malta and Tunisia face this basin too.
- Harbours
- 60
- Countries
- 11
- Large Harbours
- 2
- Written Up
- 3
Map of the Ports of the eastern Mediterranean
Blue dots are the harbours of the World Port Index; tap or click one to open its entry. Use the layer panel to add trade routes, rivers and historical borders.
Harbours of the eastern Mediterranean in Detail
The 3 harbours of the eastern Mediterranean with an encyclopedia article, each with its figures from the World Port Index.
Damietta
Major harbour · Egypt
Damietta Port is located on the northern coast of Egypt, 10 km (6.2 mi) west of the Nile River of Damietta branch westward Ras El-Barr, 70 km to the west of Port Said, and 200 km (120 mi) from Alexandria Port. The port installations extend on an area of 11.8 km2 (4.6 sq mi). The port is bordered by an imaginary line connecting the eastern and western external breakwaters.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Damietta Port (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Harbour size
- Major
- Channel depth
- 27.4 m
- Anchorage depth
- 23.8 m
- Cargo pier depth
- 27.4 m
- Tidal range
- 1 m
- Largest vessel
- large vessels
- Country
- Egypt
- Province
- Damietta
- Coordinates
- 31.4800°, 31.7500°
More about Damietta
Geography
The Entrance Channel is 11.4 km long, 15m deep, and 300m wide decreasingly reaching 250m at the breakwater fringe, the approach channel is bordered by 18 nightly-lit buoys.
The western breakwater is 1640m long with 140m land-based and 1500m sea-based area.
The eastern breakwater is 738m long with 200m land-based and 538m sea-based area.
Both breakwaters are made of stacked artificial acropod piles topped with a concrete head.
The barge channel consists of two sections; one is 1350m long connecting the barge dock to the sea and the other is 3750m connecting the dock to the Nile estuary.
Turning Dock The turning dock diameter is 500m with 14.5m depth at the container berth, and 12m depth at the general cargo berth.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Damietta Port (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ashdod
Small harbour · Israel
The Port of Ashdod (Hebrew: נמל אשדוד) is one of Israel's three main cargo ports. The port is located in Ashdod, about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, adjoining the mouth of the Lachish River.
It was built in the 1960s and opened in November 1965 with the arrival of the Swedish vessel Vingaland which brought a shipment of sugar from Warsaw.
Its establishment significantly enhanced the country's port capacity. It handles the largest volume of cargo containers annually (1.525 million TEU in 2017) of all Israeli ports. Cargo also arrives at the port for Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian authority as well as ships carrying humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip also unload their cargo at Ashdod.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Port of Ashdod (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Harbour size
- Small
- Anchorage depth
- 5.5 m
- Cargo pier depth
- 23.8 m
- Oil terminal depth
- 23.8 m
- Largest vessel
- medium vessels
- Country
- Israel
- Province
- Southern District
- Coordinates
- 31.8200°, 34.6500°
More about Ashdod
History
Tel Mor served as a port for Philistine Kingdom of Ashdod during the Late Bronze Age. When Ashdod was destroyed in the 10th century BCE it was not rebuilt.
After Ashdod rebelled against Sargon II, the King of Assyria in 717 BCE he destroyed it and built a fortified city called Ashdod-Yam together with a harbor.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Port of Ashdod (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Ashdod: Key Facts
| Established | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Operator | Israel Port Authority |
| On | Mediterranean Sea |
Facts from Wikidata Q2914934 (CC0).
Pozzallo
Very Small harbour · Italy
The Port of Pozzallo is the major port of the province of Ragusa on the Mediterranean coast of Sicily and is one of the most important harbours on the island.
The port was initially designed for a volume of goods of only 500.000 tons a year but today it has risen to over 1.500.000 tons. The port is located at the western end of Pozzallo, which is 50 nautical miles (93 km) from Malta. It is well placed for connections to north Africa.
Adapted from Wikipedia: Port of Pozzallo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Harbour size
- Very Small
- Anchorage depth
- 38.4 m
- Cargo pier depth
- 38.4 m
- Largest vessel
- large vessels
- Country
- Italy
- Province
- Sicily
- Coordinates
- 36.7200°, 14.8500°
More about Pozzallo
History
The first steps in construction were taken by the authorities in 1935 in Pozzallo but the first structure was not built until 1960 when a pier was built for petrol products. The late 1980s saw building works started which were not completed until well into the 1990s.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Port of Pozzallo (CC BY-SA 4.0).
All Harbours of the eastern Mediterranean
60 harbours, the largest first by the index's harbour size. Channel depth and tidal range set the physical limit on which ships can call. 21 of them are recorded in the source with the city they serve.
| Harbour | Country | Size | Channel | Anchorage | Tide | Largest vessel | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damietta | Egypt | Major | 27.4 m | 23.8 m | 1 m | large vessels | |
| Baniyas | Syria | Major | — | 27.4 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Mersinserves Icel | Turkey | Medium | 34.7 m | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Tarabulusserves Trablous | Lebanon | Medium | 34.7 m | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Banghazi | Libya | Medium | 31.1 m | — | 1 m | large vessels | |
| Haifa | Israel | Medium | 31.1 m | — | 1 m | large vessels | |
| al Ladhiqiyah | Syria | Medium | 27.4 m | — | — | medium vessels | |
| Valletta Harborsserves Valletta | Malta | Medium | 23.8 m | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Tazerka Oil Terminal | Tunisia | Medium | 5.5 m | — | — | medium vessels | |
| Famagustaserves Ammochostos | Cyprus | Small | 38.4 m | — | — | medium vessels | |
| Mersa Sfaxserves Sfax | Tunisia | Small | 34.7 m | — | 2 m | medium vessels | |
| Sousse | Tunisia | Small | 34.7 m | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Larnacaserves Larnaka | Cyprus | Small | 31.1 m | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Limassolserves Lemosos | Cyprus | Small | 27.4 m | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Marsaxlokk | Malta | Small | 27.4 m | 5.5 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Tartus | Syria | Small | 27.4 m | — | — | medium vessels | |
| el Ismailiyaserves Ismaïlia | Egypt | Small | 16.5 m | — | 2 m | large vessels | |
| Aksaz Limani | Turkey | Small | 5.5 m | — | — | large vessels | |
| al Burayqah | Libya | Small | — | 5.5 m | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Ashdod | Israel | Small | — | 5.5 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Ashtart Oil Terminal | Tunisia | Small | — | 5.5 m | 1 m | large vessels | |
| Didon Terminal | Tunisia | Small | — | 5.5 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Sidi Kerir (Kurayr) | Egypt | Small | — | 5.5 m | — | large vessels | |
| Houmt Souk | Tunisia | Very Small | 56.7 m | 49.4 m | — | — | |
| Marsa Sabratah | Libya | Very Small | 53 m | 49.4 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Mazara del Vallo | Italy | Very Small | 53 m | 38.4 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Yithion | Greece | Very Small | 53 m | 5.5 m | — | medium vessels | |
| el Maadiya | Egypt | Very Small | 45.7 m | 49.4 m | — | — | |
| Abu Khammash | Libya | Very Small | 42.1 m | — | — | — | |
| Kyrenia | Cyprus | Very Small | 42.1 m | — | — | medium vessels | |
| Licata | Italy | Very Small | 42.1 m | 12.8 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Mersa Matruhserves Matruh | Egypt | Very Small | 42.1 m | — | — | medium vessels | |
| Darnah | Libya | Very Small | 38.4 m | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Dhekelia | Cyprus | Very Small | 38.4 m | 5.5 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Iskenderunserves İskenderun | Turkey | Very Small | 34.7 m | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Porto Empedocle | Italy | Very Small | 34.7 m | 38.4 m | — | large vessels | |
| Skhira | Tunisia | Very Small | 34.7 m | 34.7 m | 1 m | large vessels | |
| Gela | Italy | Very Small | 31.1 m | 38.4 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Kali Limenes | Greece | Very Small | 31.1 m | — | 1 m | large vessels | |
| Misratah | Libya | Very Small | 31.1 m | — | 1 m | large vessels | |
| Zarzis | Tunisia | Very Small | 31.1 m | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Ras Lanuf | Libya | Very Small | 23.8 m | 5.5 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Yakacik | Turkey | Very Small | 20.1 m | 16.5 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Ez Zueitina | Libya | Very Small | 16.5 m | 5.5 m | — | large vessels | |
| As Sidr | Libya | Very Small | 5.5 m | — | 1 m | large vessels | |
| Fethiye | Turkey | Very Small | 5.5 m | 34.7 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Marmaris | Turkey | Very Small | 5.5 m | 31.1 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Tasucu | Turkey | Very Small | 5.5 m | 42.1 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Xeros | Cyprus | Very Small | 5.5 m | 9.1 m | — | large vessels | |
| Alanya | Turkey | Very Small | — | 27.4 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Antalya Offshore Terminalserves Antalya | Turkey | Very Small | — | — | — | medium vessels | |
| Ashqelon | Israel | Very Small | — | 20.1 m | — | large vessels | |
| Botas | Turkey | Very Small | — | — | — | large vessels | |
| Botas Dortyol Oil Terminal | Turkey | Very Small | — | 38.4 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Bouri Oil Field | Libya | Very Small | — | — | 1 m | medium vessels | |
| Delta Terminal | Turkey | Very Small | — | 5.5 m | — | medium vessels | |
| el Hamra Oil Terminal | Egypt | Very Small | — | 9.1 m | — | large vessels | |
| Hadera | Israel | Very Small | — | 5.5 m | — | medium vessels | |
| Pozzallo | Italy | Very Small | — | 38.4 m | — | large vessels | |
| Toros Gubre | Turkey | Very Small | — | 5.5 m | — | — |
Port Cities of the eastern Mediterranean
The most populous cities with a harbour of the eastern Mediterranean within 25 km. Each city is listed with its country's other cities on the country page.
- Alexandria4.17 million
Egypt · el Maadiya (21 km)
- Banghazi1.18 million
Libya · Banghazi
- Haifa1.01 million
Israel · Haifa
- Antalya783,000
Turkey · Antalya Offshore Terminal
- Ismaïlia656,135
Egypt · el Ismailiya
- Icel616,990
Turkey · Mersin
- Al Ladhiqiyah539,147
Syria · al Ladhiqiyah
- Trablous530,000
Lebanon · Tarabulus
- Gaza505,700
Palestine · Ashqelon (16 km)
- Sfax453,050
Tunisia · Mersa Sfax
- Misratah386,120
Libya · Misratah
- Valletta368,250
Capital of Malta · Valletta Harbors, Marsaxlokk (9 km)
- Sousse327,004
Tunisia · Sousse
- Dumyat299,459
Egypt · Damietta (9 km)
- İskenderun297,943
Turkey · Iskenderun, Yakacik (16 km)
- Nicosia224,300
Capital of Cyprus · Kyrenia (18 km)
- Az Zawiyah200,000
Libya · Marsa Sabratah (22 km)
- Tartus162,980
Syria · Tartus
- Zarzis159,161
Tunisia · Zarzis
- Lemosos154,000
Cyprus · Limassol
- Ajdabiya143,833
Libya · Ez Zueitina (19 km)
- Darnah127,974
Libya · Darnah
- Matruh103,470
Egypt · Mersa Matruh
- Marsala77,784
Italy · Mazara del Vallo (21 km)
- Monastir71,546
Tunisia · Sousse (17 km)
- Ramla63,860
Israel · Ashdod (23 km)
- Larnaka48,947
- Ammochostos42,526
Northern Cyprus · Famagusta
- Kyrenia26,701
Northern Cyprus · Kyrenia
Countries with Harbours on the eastern Mediterranean
More Seas and Coasts
- Ports of Western Mediterranean
- Ports of Adriatic & Ionian Seas
- Ports of Aegean Sea & Sea of Marmara
- Ports of Black Sea & Sea of Azov
See every sea, grouped from North America to Oceania & Antarctica, on the world ports index, or the voyages that crossed these waters on the famous sea voyages map.
Eastern Mediterranean: Quick Answers
- How many ports are there on the eastern Mediterranean?
- YearMaps lists 60 ports and harbours on the eastern Mediterranean, from the World Port Index of the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Small fishing harbours and private terminals outside the index are not counted.
- Which countries have ports on the eastern Mediterranean?
- Turkey (13), Libya (10), Tunisia (8), Cyprus (6), Egypt (6), Italy (5), Israel (4), Syria (3), Greece (2), Malta (2) and Lebanon (1).
- What are the largest ports on the eastern Mediterranean?
- By the World Port Index's harbour size, the largest are Damietta, Baniyas, Mersin, Tarabulus, Banghazi and Haifa.
- What are the main port cities on the eastern Mediterranean?
- The most populous cities with a harbour here are Alexandria (4.17 million), Banghazi (1.18 million), Haifa (1.01 million), Antalya (783,000) and Ismaïlia (656,135).