Egypt’s Mediterranean coastline – a stunning 500-kilometer stretch locals call Al-Sahel – offers some of the country’s most beautiful beaches with crystal-clear waters reaching all the way to Libya. But this coastal paradise comes with unique challenges many travelers don’t expect.
Between Alexandria and El-Alamein’s historic battlefields, you’ll encounter several resorts catering to different groups – some exclusive to Egypt’s elite, others open to vacationers with deep pockets. Independent travelers often find these developments disrupt the natural scenery, making colonial-era El-Agami (just 20km from Alexandria’s center) appear charmingly historic by comparison.
Exploring off-the-beaten-path sights can be challenging as well. With Abu Sir’s ancient lighthouse and Taposiris Magna ruins generally inaccessible, history enthusiasts might enjoy visiting the Coptic Monastery of St Menas along the Alexandria-El-Alamein highway instead.
El-Alamein: Where History Turned
“Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein we never had a defeat.”
Winston Churchill, The Hinge of Fate
More historic landmark than actual city, El-Alamein sits 106km west of Alexandria along a dusty plain. At first glance, you might see little beyond construction debris – until you spot the Italian war memorial 9km down the highway. The name (“Two Worlds” or “Two Flags”) perfectly captures how this remote location became the turning point in North Africa’s WWII campaign.
In July 1942, as Rommel’s Afrika Korps pushed within 111km of Alexandria, control of Egypt – and by extension, Middle Eastern oil supplies and the vital Suez Canal route – hung in the balance. The Allied Eighth Army’s victory here marked the beginning of the Axis retreat, ultimately leading to their surrender in Tunisia. The human cost was enormous: 11,000 soldiers died at El-Alamein alone, with total North African campaign casualties exceeding 100,000.
Honoring the Fallen
History buffs and those paying respects will find El-Alamein’s memorials deeply moving. Just beyond the checkpoint where Sharia al-Petrol turns toward the Qattara Depression, markers highlight:
- The Greek Memorial: A serene classical temple approach lined with oleanders
- The South African Memorial: Inscribed with poetic reference to the Boer Voortrekkers
A kilometer west lies the El-Alamein War Cemetery (open daily 9am-4pm, free admission). This peaceful oasis houses 7,367 graves with 815 unnamed soldiers resting beneath “Known Unto God” markers. Memorial cloisters honor 11,945 soldiers never recovered from the battlefield. Visitors can search for specific graves through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s online database.
Nearby stands the Australian Memorial, commemorating the 9th Australian Division’s crucial role in denying Rommel’s final push toward Alexandria.
Pro Tip: Before visiting the fascinating military museum, call ahead (046 410 0021) as opening hours can be unpredictable.
Discovering El-Alamein’s Battlefields and Legacies
Imagine standing where history’s tides turned during WWII—where desert sands whisper tales of valor and sacrifice. The El-Alamein battlefields, located about 12km west of the Italian Memorial, were once Allied staging grounds during the Third Battle’s final phases. Today, this haunting landscape offers a window into a pivotal chapter of the North African campaign.
Step Inside the War Museum
Begin your journey at El-Alamein’s War Museum (locally called Al-Mathaf), where history leaps to life. Walk through exhibits illuminated by battle-phase maps and an Italian documentary. Feel the grit of desert warfare through uniforms, photographs, and personal artifacts. Don’t miss the exhibit on Count László Almássy—the real-life inspiration behind The English Patient—who guided German spies across this unforgiving terrain.
Outside, military hardware tells its own stories: cannons, armored trucks, and a recovered vehicle from the legendary Long Range Desert Group. Just steps away, Montgomery’s Command Bunker—where “Monty” masterminded Allied strategies—offers a tangible link to the past. Ask a guide to unlock this hidden wartime nerve center.
Axis Memorials: A Testament to Fallen Foes
Drive 2km west to find the poignant Italian plaque marking the Axis advance’s farthest point. Its inscription—“Mancò la Fortuna, Non il Valore” (“Lacking Fortune, Not Valour”)—rebukes wartime stereotypes about Italian soldiers, honoring their endurance alongside German allies.
Three kilometers further, the German Memorial crowns Tell el-Issa ridge. Modeled after Apulia’s Castel del Monte, this solemn octagonal structure houses 4,280 soldiers in a mass grave, their names etched beside sarcophagi representing their homelands. The memorial keeper can guide you to the nearby German Memorial Beach—a stunning, secluded stretch of coastline that remains one of Egypt’s best-kept secrets.
Five kilometers west towers the gleaming white Italian Memorial, its marble spire visible from the highway. Devoted to 42,800 fallen servicemen, this oasis of oleanders holds a chapel and small museum. Only 4,800 bodies were recovered here, thanks to Colonel Paolo Dominioni’s decade-long desert search. Caution: unexplored landmines linger—stay on marked paths.
The Battlefields: Tread Carefully
Venturing onto the actual battlefield remains perilous due to estimated 16 million landmines still lurking beneath the Western Desert. These deadly remnants continue claiming lives among local Bedouin communities. While oil companies clear drill sites, international funding for full de-mining remains contentious.
Adventurous travelers can sometimes arrange escorted 4WD tours to key sites like Kidney Ridge—ironically hemmed in ridges despite its misleading name. But beware: Egyptian army permits are mandatory, patrols monitor the area, and unauthorized visits risk fines or worse.
The Three Battles of El-Alamein: A Clash of Titans
Contrary to popular belief, El-Alamein wasn’t one battle but three brutal engagements between July and November 1942:
1. First Battle (July 1942): General Auchinleck halted Rommel’s fuel-starved Afrika Korps, despite German advantages in tank armor and feared 88mm guns. Rommel’s cunning earned him “the Desert Fox” moniker but couldn’t overcome supply shortages.
2. Second Battle (Aug-Sep 1942): After “Monty” Montgomery took command, he hid tanks in dug-out positions, countering Panzer range. Rommel’s desperate Alam Halfa Ridge assault failed catastrophically, forcing Axis retreat behind half-million mines.
3. Third Battle (Oct-Nov 1942): Monty’s legendary “Operation Lightfoot” began on October 23 with 744 guns roaring across the desert. Allied codebreakers knew Rommel was hospitalized in Italy when the Eighth Army breached minefields. Though the Fox returned hastily, Montgomery’s Kidney Ridge push on November 2 left German forces with just 35 tanks facing certain defeat.
Taposiris Magna: The Cleopatra Connection
Beyond El-Alamein lies an ancient mystery that could eclipse even WWII’s drama. Near Abu Sir (40km west of Alexandria), the Graeco-Roman city of Taposiris Magna (“Dwelling of Osiris”) holds potential answers to history’s greatest cold case: the lost tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony.
Once a bustling hub connecting Mediterranean and Lake Maryut ports, Taposiris preserved a critical piece of Egypt’s past—its lighthouse, likely mirroring Alexandria’s vanished Pharos at 1/10th scale. Today, excavations led by Egypt’s SCA and Dominican scholar Kathleen Martinez probe the Temple of Osiris for the royal lovers’ burial site.
Why here? Martinez points to mummies of nobles, Cleopatra-faced coins, and an alabaster mask resembling Antony found at the temple. Plutarch’s account—that Octavian permitted their joint burial post-suicide (30 BCE)—fuels her theory. Should Martinez’s team uncover their mummies, it would be archaeology’s most electrifying find since Tutankhamun.
As desert winds sweep these dual landscapes—one scarred by modern war, the other concealing ancient secrets—El-Alamein and Taposiris remind us: beneath Egypt’s sands, history still breathes.
🌟 The Travaloca Travel Editors Community is a dynamic collective of individuals united by their passion for travel and their dedication to high-quality content creation. This community serves as the driving force behind Travaloca's informative and engaging travel resources. ✨ Core Identity: This group consists primarily of passionate travel enthusiasts who have turned their love for exploration into a commitment to writing and content curation. Members are recognized for their: Extensive Travel Experience: Possessing valuable firsthand knowledge from their journeys worldwide. Aptitude for Writing and Editing: Demonstrating a keen interest and skill in crafting, reviewing, and perfecting travel narratives, guides, tips, and reviews. Dedication to Storytelling: Transforming personal experiences and destination knowledge into accessible, inspiring, and reliable information for a global audience. 📝 Community Focus: The community’s primary role is to contribute, edit, and maintain the diverse range of content on Travaloca's platform. They ensure the information provided is accurate, engaging, and reflective of current travel trends. In essence, the Travaloca Travel Editors Community is where travel passion meets editorial excellence, enriching the user experience and solidifying Travaloca’s standing as a trusted travel resource.
