el Alamein

It is something of a revelation to see how close el Alamein is to Alexandria and what a funnel it is between the Mediterranean shore and the Qattara depression. In the battles for this site in WWll it is worth remembering that these few one hundred kilometres were but a two hour drive in the MKIII Panzer in July 1942.
A Google Earth is a good investment at this point although the scale makes it something of a trial to navigate and to capture the site names for Rusticana. We have included an el Alamein distant Google to show the ribbon development along the coast.
It is possible to make out the intense resort development along the coast where hundreds of identical standalone apartments are grouped around lakes, canals and golf courses. The el Alamein Marina development is regarded as the premier Mediterranean site by the Egyptian Elite.
Some forty eight kilometres along the coast road out of Alexandria is the amazing site of Taposirus Magna, where very considerable work is being done by The Supreme Council for Antiquities (SCA).
Recent publication by General Secretary Dr Zahi Hawass and Dominican archaeologist Dr Kathleen Martinez suggests the possibility that Cleopatras tomb is on the site. We may even have walked over her. Go to :
http://www.drhawass.com/blog/press-release-news-temple-taposiris-magna
We have included a panorama on Taposirus Magna showing the interior of the site . The Ptolemaic Temple here was dismantled in Roman times when the site was converted into a fortress.
The el Alamein Commonwealth War Cemetery is carefully tended and the rows and rows of grave markers and gardens are a sad reminder of the WWll actions fought on this spot. The ages ranging in the teens and early twenties heighten the sense of loss.
The War Museum is thoughtfully planned and quite new with halls designated for the various combatants and an open air park with artillery, tanks and aircraft.
From el Alamein we go on to the great oasis of Siwa, the first of the Western Desert Oases.
October 2009