Travel: Marsa Matrouh

Egyptian Gazette (temporary story)

It is a place of heritage, sea, sands, memories of war, temples and cemeteries. Marsa Matrouh is where the romance between Anthony and Queen Cleopatra blossomed.

In World War II, the British Army's Baggush Box (a fortification of the Western Desert Force) was located to the east of Marsa Matrouh, near Maarten Baggush, while Marsa Matrouh was the terminus for a single-track railway, which passed through el-Alamein. It was also where the late famous actress and singer Laila Murad sang her famous song, "I love two things, water and fresh air...", as she sat on a rock on the beach in the 1940s romantic flick Shatt El-Gharam (Shore of Love). Marsa Matrouh lies 290km west of Alexandria and about 220km east of el-Salloum on the Libyan border. The distance from Cairo to Matrouh is 525km. It lies on a bay on the Mediterranean and is distinguished by its 7km-long beach, which - as visitors testify - is one of the most beautiful in the world. The beach is famous for its soft, white sands and calm, transparent waters, as the bay is protected from the high seas by a series of rocks forming a natural wave-breaker, with a small opening to allow light vessels in. Marsa Matrouh offers a getaway to Cairenes eager to flee the capital in the sweltering summer months. One can easily go there by the bus which leaves Giza early every morning. The journey takes around eight hours. If you're feeling wealthy, you can always fly from Cairo International Airport.Matrouh Governorate stretches 400km south into the depths of the desert. Its area is 166,563km square, while its population is just over 278,000. Its beach dates back to the days of Alexander the Great, when it was known as 'Paraetonium' and also as 'Amunia'. It is said that Alexander stopped there during his epic expedition to pay tribute and sacrifice, to the god Amun at Siwa.This meant that he became Amun's son and his rule became a historical continuation of the Pharaohs. There are also the ruins of a temple from the time of Ramses II (1200 BC) in Matrouh.