El Alamein facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
El Alamein
العلمين
al-ʿAlamayn
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  .jpg)     Clockwise from top:
Marina's Porto Resort, The German Memorial, Alamein Port, Armen Agop Structure at Alamein Hotel, Alamein Military Museum, Sunset on Alamein's Beaches, Marina Alamein Arch Site Tomb Superstructures |
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 El Alamein
Location in Egypt
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| Country |  Egypt |
| Governorate | Matrouh |
| Population
(2007)
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| • Total | 7,397 |
| • Estimate
(2017)
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10,013 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
El Alamein is a town in Egypt, located on the northern coast. Its name means "the two flags" in Arabic. It sits right on the Mediterranean Sea.
El Alamein is about 106 kilometers (66 miles) west of Alexandria. It is also about 300 kilometers (186 miles) northwest of Cairo. The town is built where an old Roman city called Antiphrai once stood.
Contents
Visiting El Alamein
El Alamein is a place many people visit. It has important historical sites and lovely beaches.
War Cemeteries
Many soldiers from different countries are buried here. They fought in World War II. There are special cemeteries for them.
German Cemetery
The German cemetery is on Tel el-Eisa Hill. It looks like an old castle. This cemetery is an ossuary, which means it holds the bones of many people.
Italian Cemetery
The Italian cemetery is a large building called a mausoleum. It holds the tombs of 5,200 soldiers.
Greek Cemetery
There is also a cemetery for Greek soldiers in El Alamein.
Commonwealth Cemetery
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission takes care of this cemetery. It has graves of soldiers from many Allied countries.
- Over 6,400 identified soldiers are buried here.
- There are also 815 graves for soldiers who could not be identified.
- 102 graves belong to soldiers from other nations.
Some very brave soldiers who received the Victoria Cross are buried here:
- Private Percival Gratwick
- Private Arthur Stan Gurney
- Sergeant William Bill Kibby
- Private Adam Wakenshaw
Other notable people buried here include:
- Squadron Leader George Barclay, a Royal Air Force pilot.
- Major Henry Rew, from the Royal Tank Regiment.
This cemetery also has monuments. These remember forces from Greece, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, India, and Canada. The main entrance is through the Alamein Memorial. There is also a separate memorial for 603 Commonwealth soldiers. Their bodies were cremated according to their religious beliefs. The names of 213 Canadian airmen are on the Alamein Memorial.
Beaches
Many people from Egypt visit El Alamein in the summer. They come to enjoy the beaches. It is a popular place to escape the heat.
Climate in El Alamein
El Alamein has a hot desert climate. This is common in the Middle East and North Africa. However, it is a bit cooler than other parts of Egypt. This is because of the cool winds from the Mediterranean Sea.
| Climate data for El Alamein | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.8 (64.0) |
18.7 (65.7) |
20.3 (68.5) |
23.5 (74.3) |
25.7 (78.3) |
28.8 (83.8) |
29.5 (85.1) |
30.5 (86.9) |
28.7 (83.7) |
27.5 (81.5) |
23.6 (74.5) |
19.7 (67.5) |
24.5 (76.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.4 (54.3) |
13.3 (55.9) |
14.9 (58.8) |
17.7 (63.9) |
20.5 (68.9) |
23.8 (74.8) |
25.2 (77.4) |
25.7 (78.3) |
24.4 (75.9) |
22.1 (71.8) |
18.3 (64.9) |
14.4 (57.9) |
19.4 (66.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7 (45) |
7.9 (46.2) |
9.5 (49.1) |
12 (54) |
15.4 (59.7) |
18.8 (65.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
21 (70) |
20.1 (68.2) |
16.7 (62.1) |
13 (55) |
9.2 (48.6) |
14.3 (57.8) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 29 (1.1) |
17 (0.7) |
8 (0.3) |
2 (0.1) |
1 (0.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
5 (0.2) |
21 (0.8) |
24 (0.9) |
107 (4.1) |
| Source: climate-data.org | |||||||||||||
El Alamein in World War II
El Alamein was a very important place during World War II. Two major battles happened here. They were key moments in the war.
First Battle of El Alamein
This battle took place from July 1 to July 27, 1942. The Axis forces, which included German and Italian troops, were trying to reach Alexandria. The Allied forces stopped their advance. This prevented the Axis from moving further into Egypt.
Second Battle of El Alamein
This battle happened from October 23 to November 4, 1942. The Allied forces broke through the Axis lines. They pushed the Axis troops all the way back to Tunisia. This was a huge victory for the Allies.
Winston Churchill, who was the British Prime Minister, spoke about this victory. He said, "Before Alamein we never had a victory. After Alamein, we never had a defeat." This shows how important the battle was.
Gallery
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Cross of Sacrifice, El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery
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South African Memorial El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery
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El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery plaque – 1939-1945 – The land on which this cemetery stands is the gift of the Egyptian people for the perpetual resting place of the sailors, soldiers and airmen who are honoured here.
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El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery
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El Alamein Italian memorial entrance
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El Alamein German memorial
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El Alamein Commonwealth cemetery – A soldier of the 1939-1945 war known unto God
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In El Alamein museum
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German cannon
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The list of fallen German soldiers
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German Memorial
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British Crusader tank
See also
In Spanish: El Alamein para niños
