egyptian city mersa matruh
Although Mersa Matruh has grown phenomenally and considers itself a developed holiday destination, at its heart it remains a provincial town filled with Egyptian and Libyan holidaymakers in the summer. The beaches of the city consist of separate sections, the best places are far from the city in Agiiba bay and on the neighboring Ubayyad beach. Social norms are conservative here: more women wear a yashmak than a scarf on their heads, sermons are broadcast from mosques every day, not only on Fridays. No imagination can present Mersa Matruh with the appropriate advertising posters declaring it a paradise for hedonists.
The only people who might think so are the Libyans who have been coming here since the borders were reopened. Egyptians travel the other way, trying to find work in Libya, and visitors from the West are usually more interested in going to or intending to dive to the World War II remnants of Mersa Matruh. A network of low-rise standard residential blocks accommodates eighty thousand people, the city stretches from the coast towards the ridge on which the radar dishes are placed. As Mersa Matrouh evolved from a quiet fishing port to the bustling capital of the Mediterranean administrative region, immigrants flocked here from all parts of Egypt, causing mixed feelings among the locals.
Contrary to its appearance, Mersa Matruh (Sheltered Anchorage) has a long history. It was founded by Alexander the Great on his way to Siwa, and here Mark Antony and Cleopatra sought consolation after their defeat at Actium, and from here their fleet put to sea for their last battle against Octavian. During the Islamic era, Mersa Matruh was a busy trading port where smuggling also took place. Another of his main activities (dating back to Roman times) was the collection of sponges. Divers even came from the Cycladic Islands, at the beginning of the twentieth century they mined up to two thousand a year. In order to extract sponges from the bottom of the sea at a depth of 60-90 meters, they used a stone that helped them sink faster, at the bottom they threw it.
Sponge collection ceased in the early 1980s. Today, cheap Chinese goods at the Souq Libyani (Libyan Market) outside the city and a record 300 tons of hashish seized by the Coast Guard suggest that smuggling and cross-border trade are flourishing again. The best way to make the 209 km journey is by bus. Throughout the year, West Delta has an hourly bus service (15-23 pounds), which increases from June to September with Superjet (7:15 and 16:00; 24 pounds), which also depart from the Sidi Gaber terminal, the trip takes about three hours. Both buses are faster and much better than the shuttles from Muharrem Bay (£12, 3 hours 30 minutes).
The only trains from Alexandria are the dirty third-class carriages used by conscripts on their way to and from their posts in Mersa Matruh, which takes six to nine hours (£3.50). Mersa Matruh can be reached directly from Cairo in about six hours by West Delta buses from the Turgoman terminal (4 flights daily 28-37 pounds). Book your seats for the day. The best time to take the sporadically operated shuttle bus (£20) is in the morning. They go from Ahmed Helmi and Kulali squares, near the Ramses station, the journey takes about seven hours. Another option is to drive to Alexandria and transfer to another fixed-route taxi.
There are three sleeper trains per week from ($62) to Mersa Matruh that leave at 11:00 pm and arrive at 6:00 am the next morning, as well as a summer-only air-conditioned daily train that departs early in the morning. Egypt Air operates flights every other day (1 hour; about £450 one way). Tourists wishing to travel to the Siwa oasis without stopping at Mersa Matruh can either take direct flights from Alexandria, or take an early morning bus from Cairo to Mersa Matruh and then a day bus to Siwa. Since Mersa Matruh bus station is located far from the city center, you won't have time to explore the area before getting back on the bus at 17:00.
Arrival, information and accommodation at Mersa Matruh
Upon arrival, you can take a minibus (25 piastres) or a taxi (3-5 pounds) from the bus and taxi terminal, the airport or the Mersa Matruh railway station and get to the city center. Blue and white taxis are the main means of transportation around the city (£3) and to the nearby beaches. You can also rent a bike from one of the points on Sharia Iskandaria (10 pounds per day).
The Municipal Tourist Office (daily 0900-1430) near the Corniche has friendly English speaking staff who can answer most questions. The tourist police is next to the tourist office on the Corniche near the police station and a little further inland from Sharia al-Shatt. Both are open 24 hours, although both do not speak English very well, so if you're having trouble, try getting one of the women at the tourist office to serve as your interpreter.
On the same street there is a post office (daily except Fridays, 8.30-14.00) and a telephone exchange, open 24 hours, but there are many visitors and it does not provide a reliable connection for international calls. Therefore, it is worth paying more for a direct line to Rivera Palace. You can also use the Menatel card phones located along Shariy Iskandaria. Speed Net over Abu Aly Pizza on Sharia Iskandaria provides internet access for £2.50 an hour.
The National Bank (daily 8:30-17:00 and 18:00-21:00) at Sharia Galaa exchanges currency and traveler's checks, there is an ATM. Misr Bank, five blocks east at the corner of Sharia Zaher Galal, offers the same service, and also accepts Master Card and Visa. If you need to extend your visa, then the passport office (daily, except Friday, 9:00-14:30) near the railway station.
For urgent medical attention, go to the military hospital (closed on Fridays) at Sharia Galaa, not the public hospital or, if possible, go to. For less serious problems, go to the Al-Farghali Pharmacy (daily: summer 8:00-14:00; winter 8:00-21:00) at the corner of Sharia Iskandariya and Sharia Alam Rum.
- Accommodation in Mersa Matruh
The tourist season in Mersa Matruh lasts from late June to early October, peaking in July and August, for this period you need to book places several months in advance. Generally speaking, hotels are overpriced, but in the summer there are no problems with filling the rooms, in the winter some close or drastically reduce prices. A youth hostel (£12 per person) in a dingy area 600 meters west of Sharia Iskandaria offers attractive multi-person rooms with bunk beds (not suitable for women) and a kitchen. The camp site is only open from May to October.
While it is possible to pitch a tent on the beaches within the city limits for free, you must inform the tourist office (who will notify the tourist police) of your exact location. Unauthorized tourists may be mistaken for smugglers, and a police patrol may open fire on them. The distances below indicate the distance from Shariy Iskandaria. All listed places are open all year round, unless otherwise stated, breakfast is included in the rate.
1). Arous el-Bahr Hotel– The recently refurbished Bride of the Sea Hotel offers pleasant sea-facing rooms with air conditioning, refrigerators, TVs and bathrooms, plus billiards, a gymnasium and a sauna in the basement. Half board (62 pounds per person) is required during the season, the rest of the time breakfast is not included. Location: Corniche;
2). Beau Site Hotel- The best hotel in Mersa Matruh with air-conditioned rooms overlooking the private beach and the blue lagoon, there is a restaurant and three bars. From June to September half board (75-87 pounds), out of season room rates are 40% cheaper and include breakfast. They accept Master Card and Visa. Location: 1.5 kilometers west on the Corniche;
3). Institution Ghazala– Spartan double, triple and quadruple rooms with sinks but no locks for £15 per person or private rooms for £20. No hot water and no running water in shared toilets/showers - water for residents is provided in buckets. No breakfast. Honest management. Location: Sharia Alam Rum;
4). Pension Lido– The rooms are small but clean, with fans, TVs, balconies, soap and towels in the bathrooms. Breakfast by arrangement. Location: Sharia Galaa;
5). Reem Hotel– A less beautiful hotel than the Beau Site Hotel, but with many sea-facing rooms with balconies. Half board in season, out of season prices 30% lower. Location: Corniche;
6). Riviera Palace Hotel– Centrally located three-star hotel with a fake stuffed tiger in the lobby, nice carpeted rooms, refrigerators and a good restaurant (no alcohol served). Crowded from July to September. Location: Sharia Iskandariya.
Beaches and diving in Mersa Matruh (Egypt)
The beaches are the main attraction of Mersa Matruh, so it's a shame that women can't enjoy them. As in Alexandria, the women sunbathe and swim fully clothed, accompanied by male relatives. Foreigners who behave differently can become the object of scrutiny and insults. Only the residents of the Beau Site Hotel can use its private beach without being disturbed.
For skilled divers, the coastal waters from Mersa Matruh to Sollum Bay are as attractive as the Red Sea due to wreck remnants with much better visibility. Excursions can be organized by the Rommel Diving Center (daily from mid-April to November) near the port - Alexandra Dive. Call a few days in advance to discuss excursions to specific sites.
Closely located municipal beaches and diving centers can be reached by bike, which can be rented from hotels or shops on Sharia Iskandaria. Transportation to the western beaches varies with the season: from June onwards you can take a minibus from the corner of Sharia Galaa (3 pounds to Agiib) or an open-sided tuff-tuff bus (50 piastres) that goes back and forth on the Corniche every hour from 6.30 until sunset to the beaches of Cleopatra and Agiiba. In addition, local buses run from Sharia Tahrir to Zawiyat Umm al Ruham.
- City beaches of Mersa Matruh
The three crescent-shaped beaches around Mersa Matruh Bay are separated by breakwaters and a small port further east. Behind them, a piece of land curves around the city line, bounded by Rommel's beach. It is believed that the Desert Fox bathed here while planning his attack on Alam Halfa in a nearby cave, now converted into a small Rommel Museum (daily 9:00-17:00; £5). Among the exhibits are his maps, a table and a leather coat (donated by his grandson, Manfred). There are amazing inscriptions on the exhibits: "Rommel was a teacher of modern military leaders, he was everywhere at the same time." Rommel Beach is a popular place among Egyptians.
Less than 100 meters from Rommel's beach lies the stern of Volo, a 1,567-ton British freighter that was torpedoed on the way from Tobruk to Alexandria by a German submarine in December 1941, killing 28 of the 34 crew members. Shortly after the sinking of Volo, U-75 was destroyed by depth charges from HMS Kipling, 14 submariners drowned, but thirty were rescued. The submarine lies 600 meters from what is now Lover's Beach (Shahata al Gharam) on the far side of Mersa Matruh Bay.
A mile further in deep water lie U-577, sunk by British Swordfish torpedo bombers in 1942, and the destroyer HMS Kipling, damaged by Junkers-88 in May of that year. Since these are war graves, it is illegal to take any items from any of these sites. On the shore, it is better to sunbathe on Cleopatra Beach, about 7 kilometers west of the city, which drops sharply down a meter from the shore. Across the dunes on the right side of Cleopatra Beach is Cleopatra's Bath, a pool in the rock where, according to legend, she had fun with Mark Antony. Strong surf and sharp, slippery rocks make this place outside the bath dangerous for swimming.
- Ubayyad and Ajiba beaches
Ubayyad Beach, 14 kilometers from the city, is a vast expanse of silvery sand where the sea is calm and shallow up to 200 meters from the shore. As you might expect, the beach is not uninhabited: in addition to the holiday village of Badr (open to the public), there is a closed beach for army officers. Five kilometers further, near the village of Umm Abraham, the sand flows into a tiny ruined temple-fort dedicated to Ramesses II by his general Nebra, which marks the westernmost port of ancient Egypt. The coastal highway has no sign for Zawiyyat Umm al-Ruham (its local name) and is closed while excavations continue. To date, a magnificent funerary statue of Nebre has been found, which is now on display in the Luxor Museum.
From the next cape, located 24 kilometers from the city, the path descends to the Ajiba beach. The name Ajiba (Mysterious) is appropriate for a strikingly beautiful cove, but "beach" is completely the wrong word. To swim in the calm, crystal clear turquoise water, you can dive off the rocks that jut out into the sea, or walk off the tiny algae-infested beach. Starting in July, you will have to walk around the headlands and along the coast to find a place where there are not so many people. Take food and drink with you, as there are no guarantees that the stalls on top of the hills overlooking some of the caves will work.
Eating, drinking and entertainment in Mersa Matruh (Egypt)
On the main street of Mersa Matruh, there are many greenery shops and bakeries, a fruit and vegetable market is located on Sharia Omar Mukhtar passing nearby. Although many outlets are open all year round, they are open longer in the summer. Of the hotel restaurants, the most fashionable are in Beau Site and Rievera Palace, if you do not go there, then it is better to choose one of the places indicated below. Opening hours are given for summer time, in winter most close before midnight, although the coffee houses on the main street and around the market are open until the early hours of the morning.
It cannot be said that Mersa Matruh is a metropolis in the full sense of the word, but there are enough restaurants and several entertainments, at least in summer. The District Celebration (August 24) takes place on a grand scale with a folklore parade of dancers, horses and camels along the main street and along the Corniche, films and performances in the evening. In July and August, live music is played in the gardens on the way to the Beau Site Hotel, and there is a disco in the hotel itself.
Out of season entertainment is hard to come by - a bowling alley across the street from the Beau Site is open year-round, non-residents can play billiards (£10 an hour) and use the women-only gym and sauna (£5 per person) at the Arous el-Bahr. You can also watch TV in coffee shops or have a drink: you can buy inexpensive beer at the lower level of the Panyotis Greek restaurant, although zibiba and brandy must be drunk upstairs or taken with you packaged. The bars at the Beau Site Hotel are good but expensive and far from the center.
1). Abdu Kofta Cafe– Great cafe in town where you can try kofta or grilled meat (sold by weight) served with meze or salads. Location: Sharia Gamal Abdel Nasser;
2). Bistro Abu Rable– Lunches that you can eat on the spot or take away: ful, ta-amiya, sandwiches with shrimp (gambari) or squid, all this can be served with rice or salad. Open all year round until midnight. Location: Sharia Iskandariya;
3). Hammo al-Temsah Fish– Choose seafood from the fridge or a menu hanging on the wall that lists fried or grilled dishes, sit back and wait for a great meal with all the spices. You can eat well for 20-30 pounds if you don't want to splurge on shrimp (140 pounds per kilo). Location: Sharia Tahrir;
4). Panyotis Greek Restaurant– Opened in 1922 by one of two families of Greek origin still living in Mersa Matruh, it offers delicious fried fish or squid with salad in summer. Food is not served out of season, but alcoholic drinks can be ordered all year round. Opening hours: daily 8:00-01:00. Location: Sharia Iskandariya.
Departure from Mersa Matruh (Egypt)
Egypt Air's Mersa Matruh office at Sharia Galaa (Tuesday-Sunday 09:00-14:00 and 18:00-21:00) is only open from June to September, when the company operates flights to Cairo (Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 11 :00).
- To the oasis of Siwa
Three air-conditioned buses run daily from Mersa Matruh to Siwa Oasis at 7:30, 13:30, 17:00 (12 pounds). You can also take the last passing bus from Alexandria between 18:45 and 19:30. Plan half an hour to get to the bus stop from the city center (by mini bus from the intersection of Omar Mukhtar and Cleopatra streets). Seating shouldn't be a problem, except during major Muslim or Sivan festivals, tickets are usually sold directly on the bus. There may also be an additional mini bus (£12 per person fully loaded) from the bus depot, but this is best used only as a last resort. Take food and water for the 4.5 hour journey.
Motorists should not drive during the midday heat and should refuel before leaving Mersa Matruh, as there is only one filling station on a 300 km journey. To get on the road to Siwa, take the Corniche from the city to the west, turn inland, pass the airport turnoff, and then turn south at the next turn 20 kilometers from Mersa Matruh. There is a police checkpoint, so it is impossible to pass it. If you stop along the road, do not stray far from it, minefields stretch for many kilometers on both sides of the highway.
- Port of Sidi Barrani, Sollum and to Libya
The road to Libya reflects the relationship between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Libyan Jamahiriya (State of the People). In the 1960s, when Gaddafi viewed Nasser's Egypt as the vanguard of revolutionary Arab nationalism, people and goods flowed in both directions, spurring the Libyan leader to propose in 1973 that the two countries unite, an idea that fell to nothing when the president Sadat sided with the West and eventually signed a peace treaty with Israel.
In response, Libya ended relations, closed the border, and began agitating for the overthrow of the Egyptian government. The Cold War followed, with sporadic Libyan military aircraft incursions and sabotage in the 1980s. Only at the end of the decade were relations restored and the borders reopened. Despite increased civilian traffic, the 120 kilometers to Sidi Barrani, a small port named after Senussi missionary Sidi Mohammed El Barrani, still has a significant military presence. This port was fought over fiercely during the Western Desert Campaign.
In December 1940, the Eighth Army took 37,000 Italian prisoners for only 600 casualties, but was driven back by the Afrika Korps in 1942. In several places along the coast under water, you can see the remnants of those times. The Rommel Diving Center offers diving excursions to view the British Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender, which drove four Italian submarines off the coast of Libya and was then sunk by Junkers-88 in July 1941, the cruiser HMS Niad (torpedoed by a submarine in 1942) ; the destroyer HMS Gurka (also sunk in 1942) and the German submarine U-79 (sunk by depth charges in 1941).
60 kilometers beyond Sidi Barrani, Sollum (pronounced "Sa-luum") looks out to sea from a 180-meter cliff with a harbor below. The small Allied War Cemetery at the eastern entrance to the city commemorates the sacrifices paid at Halfaya (Hellfire Pass), when five waves of British takas were destroyed by German guns dug into the ridge. At sea, there is an attractive diving site - the Italian submarine Gondar, which contains three manned torpedoes of the type that was used against warships in the western harbor of Alexandria.
A depth bombed submarine was forced to surface and was scuttled by its own crew in 1940, diving here can also be arranged by the Rommel Diving Center. The waterfront town has a bank, a telephone office, a few unattractive eateries, and the new Sert Hotel, which has rooms with every comfort. The hotel restaurant is the best place to dine in town. The border crossing at Halfaya Pass is officially open 24 hours, but its sleepy officials and long lines of cars suggest otherwise. Egyptians and Libyans cross borders fairly regularly, but foreign tourists have only just begun visiting Libya, which doesn't encourage surprise visits too much.
You need to get visas for Libya in advance in Cairo, and, frankly, it is much easier to arrive directly in Benghazi or Tripoli on the Superjet bus from the capital than to ride the twice-daily bus from Mersa Matruh to Sollum (11:00 and 14:00; 8 pounds; 4 hours) and then by taxi until crossing the border (4 pounds). On the Libyan side of the border, local shuttles run to Al Burdi, from where buses take you to Tobruk and Benghazi. If you're planning to drive your own car along the coast and on to Libya, make sure your passport and car documents are in order so you can present them at the myriad checkpoints along the way.
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