Moorish Barracks — Attraction in São Lourenço

The Moorish Barracks is one of the UNESCO World Heritage attractions in the Historic Centre of Macau. However, it is one of the member sites that is not normally open to the public. During most Chinese New Year (CNY) Day (Jan-Feb), the 238-metre dragon parades its way through the Historic Centre of Macau, making stops at specific landmark buildings, including the Moorish Barracks for a few minutes, allowing visitors some great photograph opportunities.

The dragon passes by the Moorish Barracks after calling upon at St. Lawrence Church. it stops here briefly before continuing onward to Barra Square. If you are following the dragon through the Historic City Centre, be ready to move with the crowd of photographers after each picture as the dragon moves surprisingly quick for its size.

Note: If we have a sunny day, it can be difficult difficult to take picture of the dragon as it pauses and curls in front of the Moorish Barracks as the sun is directly in front of you.

If this is the case, simply move down the street a bit and change your angle. If you go past the barracks, you can take pictures as the dragon passes by, this is probably the best photography angle...

Beautiful exotic building belonging to the Port Authority.

The building uses a mogol style in the façade and has neo-classical spacial structure inside, in a typical revivalist solution of the 19c. The use of military corps from different parts of the empire was a fashion of the times, for the sake of imperial showoff (the British used Punjabi corps as they don't drink nor smoke, making them a safe asset to have near gunpowder).

The original purpose of the building, in 1874, was to function as barracks for a goan military corps. In 1905 it becomes the headquarters of the Port Authority.

The outer arcade is free of access, but the inside of the building is accessible only if an exhibition is showing, and even so only within the...

The Moorish Barracks is a historic landmark in old Macau. It did not house Moorish soldiers but housed a garrison of soldiers from India. The superstructure stands in contrast with the more contemporary apartment buildings adjacent to and surrounding it. The facade is painted yellow and has and...