El Alamein Egypt

El Alamein Egypt: Unveiling the Historical Significance

El Alamein Egypt is a city located in northeastern Egypt, on the shore of the Mediterranean, about 326 km northwest of Cairo, and 103 km west of Alexandria.  is Small city, but quite popular in the summer vacations for Egyptians, not so for tourists, as it is a little-known destination for foreign tourists.

How to go to Al-Alamien ?

There is an international airport in Al-Alamien, which allows you to arrive directly from abroad, or via domestic flights from any other Egyptian city. You can also go to Al-Alamien via Alexandria by bus or train and then take a bus to Al-Alamien. El Alamein can be accessed thanks to the construction of a new road leading from the Cairo - Alexandria route to the Wadi El Natroun route, which in turn leads to Marina, a popular summer destination and the largest resort in El Alamein.

Two crucial battles took place in the desert west of Alexandria during World War II. These engagements between Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's German armored division and the British Army took place in the largest tank battles in the war and some argue that they turned the tide of the war.

Winston Churchill is quoted as saying that, "Before Al Alamein, we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat."

The first battle of Al Alamein

in June 1942 halted the progress of the German advance in North Africa, resulting in a stalemate. Then, in October of the same year, the British Army, commanded by General Bernard Montgomery, launched an offensive against the German lines of Marshal Rommel's Afrika Korps at Al-Alamien. After 11 days of fierce fighting, it managed to break their lines and pushed the German army into Libya and finally into Tunisia, where it surrendered six months later. More than 11,000 soldiers died and 70,000 were wounded in the battle.

1. The German Cemetery

located 3km west of the city center of El Alamein, on the way to the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, on a high cliff. The cemetery grounds were donated by the Egyptian government to its German counterpart. More than 4000 German soldiers are buried there.

The Commonwealth Cemetery is located in the cemetery of El Alamein and there rest the remains of the Commonwealth soldiers who died in the battle of this city: more than 7000 British, French, Australian, Indian, South African and Malaysian soldiers. There is also a monument with the names of more than 11,000 soldiers whose bodies were never found.

1. The Italian Cemetery

5km west of the city center of El Alamein. It is the most outstanding foreign cemetery for its wonderful architecture, its church and its museum. It houses the remains of more than 4000 Italian soldiers.

In the open-air part of the World War II Museum you can see weaponry used in the battles, such as tanks, military vehicles and boats. Inside the museum, there are three sections: one Italian, one German, and one for the Commonwealth. Uniforms, coins, artifacts, letters, maps and other objects used by the soldiers in the battle of El Alamein are exhibited.