Beach · Matrouh
El Alamein
A Mediterranean coastal town where the memory of the 1942 battle, kept in its museum and war cemeteries, meets the North Coast's summer beaches and resorts.
Listen to the guide
The story
El Alamein lies on the Mediterranean coast roughly 100 km west of Alexandria, and in 1942 it was the setting for two major battles of the Second World War. In the first, in July, British and Allied forces halted the Axis advance towards Alexandria; in the second, in October and November, the Allies won a decisive victory and the Axis began its retreat across North Africa. Near the town stands a memorial complex: the El Alamein War Museum, opened in 1965, whose galleries show documents, weapons and uniforms from the different sides; the Commonwealth war cemetery, entered through the Alamein Memorial; and the German and Italian memorials on Tel el-Eisa. Alongside this heritage, El Alamein is today one of the best-known summer destinations of Egypt's North Coast, with resorts and beaches of pale sand and turquoise water.
Good to know
- El Alamein saw two battles in 1942: the first in July, and the second in October and November, which was a decisive Allied victory.
- It lies roughly 100 km west of Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast.
- The El Alamein War Museum opened in 1965, and its labels are written in four languages: Arabic, English, German and Italian.
- The Commonwealth war cemetery holds some 7,240 Second World War burials, and the Alamein Memorial forms its entrance.
Visiting tips
The War Museum is usually listed as open from 9:00 to 16:00 daily, and the Commonwealth cemetery, per the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, from 7:00 to 17:00. Hours and ticket prices can vary by date, so please check before visiting. For the beaches, summer is the peak season on the North Coast.