WATANI International
18 July 2010
The beautiful beach town of Marsa Matrouh
With its famous soft white sand and transparent, turquoise water, the beach at Marsa Matrouh has long been the destination of holidaymakers looking for tranquillity. This family ‘summering’ place attracts visitors from far and wide in Egypt and even abroad. Foreign dignitaries, world leaders and stars have enjoyed the delights of Marsa Matrouh, among them Rita Hayworth and Ali Khan who honeymooned there.
The Matrouh governorate is the second largest in Egypt in terms of size. With a total area bordering on 200,000 sq.km and a Mediterranean coastline of nearly 500kms, the governorate lies at the extreme north-west of Egypt, just short of 300kms west of Alexandria and 200kms east of the Egyptian-Libyan border at Sallum. To the south it extends into the desert for a distance of 400km. The region’s permanent population is about 160,567 of whom 83 per cent are Bedouin tribes people, but the town’s seven kilometres of sandy beach lure holidaymakers who swell the population of Marsa Matrouh to many times its non-seasonal number.
History
Marsa Matrouh started out as a small town in ancient Egyptian times, when it depended on trade and fishing. Twenty-four kilometres away are the remains of a temple of Ramesses II (ca. 1200 BC) discovered by the Egyptian archaeologist Labib Habash in 1942. In Alexander the Great’s day the town was named Ammonia after the region’s powerful god Ammon (Amun), and from the much-prized blocks of salt, ammonia, that were brought up for export from Siwa Oasis, then—confusingly—also called Ammonia. The Romans called the town Paraetonium; by that time it was an important trade and military outpost. During World War II it was an important hub of Axis and then Allies manoeuvres. The British built a single-track railway that ran through Alamein, 190km east of Marsa Matrouh.
The perfect spots
There are several ways to reach the town; there are good roads, bus services and a train service, and even internal flights (check with a travel agent). Most journeys are made between June and September, and out-of-season travel except by private car or public bus is sporadic.
Matrouh is not only famous for its beaches: it is still a trading cross roads between North and southern Africa and the Mediterranean. As well as the markets, a good hunting spot for oddities, Bedouin kellies and other handicrafts, there are restaurants and coffee shops, cinemas and fun-parks. After spending the day on the beach (sunshine guaranteed) families can spend the evening shopping or choosing from an array of eateries ranging from fine fish dining to McDonald’s.
There is plenty of white beach both in and outside Marsa Matrouh, and swimming is generally safe although care should be taken as certain places have strong currents. Most of the beaches are free to the public, while some of the hotels have private beaches that admit non-guests for a small fee, or free if they buy lunch. Chair and umbrella rentals are usually extra.
Shati’ al-Gharaam (Love Beach) is home to the rock where the singer Leila Murad once sang, immortalising the words: “I have two loves: water and air.”
West of the town is Agiba beach (the name means ‘amazing’), a beauty spot with natural caves carved into the surrounding cliff faces, and where rocks are piled upon rock as if painted by an imaginative artist.
And further west is the wide al-Ubayyid beach where the white sands meet billowy waters of a transparency seldom seen anywhere else in the world.
All pockets
Marsa Matrouh is a place that fits all pocket sizes. It has a great number of hotels with few stars and low rates, while on the other end of the scale are the five-star establishments such as the Cleopatra and Alamein. As well as hotels the town offers self-catering apartments and cottages. The price of a room with a sea view during June varies from EGP70 to EGP250.
Perhaps the most famous of the hotels, and one that has seen a good deal of history, is the Beau Site, which looks out over a private beach with sailing boats. Prices at the Lido and Semiramis hotels can reach EGP500 per night during July and August.
Landmarks
For visitors who want something more than sitting on the beach there are places of historical and natural interest such as the ruins of what may have been a kiosk or palace of Queen Cleopatra, recently found beside the so-called Cleopatra’s Bath on the shore. This was where the love story of Cleopatra and Antony ended so tragically when he left to face the superior naval force of Octavian at Actium.
Rommel’s Museum is in a cave hewn in the rock that once served as the operations room for Irwin Rommel, commander of the Axis forces during World War II. It now contains some of the weapons, maps and ammunitions that were used by the German army.
The Coptic Chapel, built during the early Roman-Coptic Period, contains several caves bearing inscriptions.
But if you can’t spare the time to travel all the way to Marsa Matrouh, there are other good beaches. Al-Alamein, only 104 km west of Alexandria, has a beach renowned for its natural scenery, soft white sand and tranquillity, described by Winston Churchill as having “the best climate in the world”. Here also, the Germans led by Rommel and Montgomery’s Allies fought one of the most decisive battles of World War II.
Journey on to Siwa
Since ancient times Marsa Matrouh has been the natural gateway to Siwa Oasis, which lies 300 kms south of the coast on the edge of the Great Sand Sea. Its main activity is agriculture, particularly the cultivation of dates and olives. The delicious Siwa dates have helped increase the fame and prosperity of Marsa Matrouh, which also cures maladies. These herbs are in great demand by Matrouh’s visitors as souvenirs for friends and families.
Siwa Oasis boasts beautiful scenery and clear water springs, some of which are used for therapeutic treatments. Water from the hot springs is said to cure psoriasis, rheumatism and certain digestive disorders.
Traditional Siwan handicrafts such as basketwork and embroidery are also highly prized. In recent decades tourism has become a vital source of income in the oasis.