Liuli, formerly known as Sphinx Hafen (German: Sphinxhafen), is a settlement on the Tanzanian shore of Lake Malawi in the Mbinga District of Ruvuma province.

The settlement is distinguished on the lake shore by a sphinx-like series of 7 rocks lying offshore.

[1] The rocks indicate deep water, leading to its development by the Germans as a ship repair base.

If you can see the great rock on the south side of the entrance in the right light you will not ask 'Why is this place called Sphinx?'

The German steamship was named after the explorer Hermann von Wissmann who raised funds for the vessel as an anti-slavery gunboat in 1890.