The Battle of Al Alamein was a key moment in WWII, showing great bravery and sacrifice. The Al Alamein Museum honors those who fought, keeping their memory alive.
Al Alamein War and Museum, A battle you may not have heard about in World War II.
Al Alamein village
Although Al-Alamein is a recent name to the Egyptians, the events associated with this name occurred many decades ago, and the village of Al-Alamein is located in Egypt, close to the northern coast ( El-Sahel), west of Alexandria. “All the places mentioned are considered destinations to spend the summer due to their proximity to the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and their wonderful atmosphere.” And relatively moderate throughout the year. Al-Alamein village is located on the same road as Marsa Matrouh, which is also considered a place for residents to spend the summer.
Al Alamein War and Museum
Let’s dive into the Battle Events of the Al Alamein War and its amazing museum.
The Al Alamein War in World War II was a Battle between the Axis forces based in Egypt, such as the Italian and German forces, and the forces of the so-called Commonwealth. The battle took place between 1940 AD and 1942 AD in the Western Desert in Egypt, which is Egypt’s western border with Libya.
The goal of the battle was several things, but the most important of them was control of the Middle East, Middle East oil, the Suez Canal, and the Mediterranean Sea. It is said that the Battle of El Alamein had two parts, The first section was when the Allies impeded the Axis advance, and the second section was when the Allies forced the Axis to retreat.
The Commonwealth forces (Allied forces) defeated the Axis powers, and one of the names of this battle was the Battle of North Africa. This battle had an important role in ending World War II.
Al Alamein cemetery
El Alamein cemeteries are located on the same northern coast road ( El-Sahel), as described above, On Marsa Matrouh Road, west of Alexandria. The cemeteries contain thousands of graves that contain the bodies of the Commonwealth forces, several unknown soldiers, and some of the soldiers in countries around the Mediterranean. These cemeteries contain the bodies of men who died during this battle in The desert, and therefore, these graves are considered an indication of the importance of this battle in the war, and what these soldiers fought and for what specific reason.
Al Alamein Museum
Al Alamein Museum was established during the era of Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who ordered its construction to immortalize the memory of the great battle in the minds of Egyptians and everyone.
The existing museum, which tells about the history of this battle and displays exhibits that express it, was built in 1956 AD. The museum displays the clothes of the soldiers who fought the battle, maps of the battle’s borders, the weapons with which the soldiers fought, tanks and similar things, and pictures that express this period and what the soldiers endured.
Al Alamein Museum contains a display area for the soldiers’ possessions during the battle, such as weapons, tanks, and the like, but what is most important is displayed inside the museum’s exhibition hall, which consists of five halls, and each hall has a specific topic next to the main hall.
Al Alamein museum.
The five halls in Al Alamein Museum are:
1- Germany hall
The hall displays the weapons used by German soldiers during the battle, some statues of soldiers, the belongings of their leaders, and the maps they used.
Al Alamein War and museum. German Hall.
2- Italian hall
The exhibition displays statues of Italian soldiers, some of their belongings, the weapons they used, and their uniforms.
3- Egyptian hall
This hall is an indication of the role of the Egyptians in this battle. In contrast to what it displays, as the German and Italian halls displayed, this hall displays what the Egyptians faced in this battle.
Al Alamein War and museum. Egyptian Hall.
4- British hall
The hall displays the weapons used by the British forces, as do the rest of the halls.
5- The common hall
The Common Hall displays models from both sides of the countries that participated in this war and is considered one of the most beautiful and attention-grabbing halls in the museum.
The main lobby of Al Alamein Museum
The main lobby displays a memorial that expresses what the soldiers fought in one day. It also displays writings and stories from the lives of the soldiers who fought in the battles of El Alamein, some of the soldiers’ collectibles, and also maps of the entire region.
Restorations of Al Alamein Museum
Al Alamein Museum did not witness many restoration and maintenance procedures, but it went through one in the nineties of the last century under the era of former President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak in 1992 AD. Again, a new hall was opened in the museum about 22 years later, in 2014 AD.
Conclusion
World War II was a dark period in the history of the entire world, and its bad effects are still visible in some countries today. No one won from the war, but we all lost.
Today’s topic presents Al Alamein and the museum, as well as the cemetery, which reminds us of one of the battles that broke out during this period. In this war, imagine that a small battle about which not much is known included many losses. You have the right to imagine the rest of the battles and their consequences for soldiers and countries.
Al Alamein Museum displays the possessions of soldiers of different nationalities and religions, but they all shared one thing: this war and the moral and material losses they suffered. This museum was an example of a reminder for us not to forget those who sacrificed for us and suffered so we would not suffer.
The cemeteries only display the material losses, perhaps also moral losses, but for the people who lived, not those who are present inside these cemeteries. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser was determined to build this museum because he knew the results of the war and wanted to remind us of Egypt’s role in it.
Despite the depressing topic, the village of El Alamein itself is now considered a tourist destination to visit during the summer due to its wonderful and picturesque atmosphere, You may be surprised that the name given to a painful battle in a world war is the same name as a village where people go to Enjoy and Relax.
