Moorish Barracks

About this place

The Moorish Barracks are a historic building on the slope of Barra Hill in Macau, also known as the Port Authority Building. With a yellow and white front and Mughal-style arches, it is among the strangest and most attractive buildings in the city, and one of the sites of the Historic Centre, on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2005. It was built in August 1874 to house a regiment from Goa in Portuguese India, to a design by an Italian architect. In 1905 it became the headquarters of the Macau Port Authority, and today the Marine and Water Bureau is based here, so it is still a working building. Its design recalls old Macau's links with Portuguese colonies in India. The building is 67.5 m long and 37 m wide, set on a high base of dark stone above a sloping street. It has two storeys at the rear and one elsewhere. Pointed arches, columns and white lattice railings run along the front, a small corner tower carries toothed battlements, and a stone side stair leads up the hill. It is about 190 m in a straight line from A-Ma Temple and about 270 m from Lilau Square. As a government office, access may be limited to the verandah during working hours, so ask at the door and stay out of the offices. The best picture is from the lower street, with the stone base and arches together. The slope is steep, so wear suitable shoes.