Editing Mersa Matruh

<noinclude>{{Requested move notice|1=Marsa Matrouh|2=Talk:Mersa Matruh#Requested move 6 May 2025}}
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{{Infobox settlement
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<!-- Basic info  ---------------->| name               = Mersa Matruh
| native_name        = مرسى مطروح
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| photo2a = Marsa Matruh, Qism Moursy Matrouh, Matrouh Governorate, Egypt - panoramio.jpg
| photo2b = From the watch tower - panoramio.jpg
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| area_footnotes     = <ref name="citypopulation">{{cite web |title=Marsā Maṭrūḥ (Kism (urban and rural parts), Egypt) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/egypt/admin/ma%E1%B9%ADr%C5%AB%E1%B8%A5/3301__mars%C4%81_ma%E1%B9%ADr%C5%AB%E1%B8%A5/ |website=citypopulation.de |access-date=17 June 2023}}</ref>
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'''Mersa Matruh''' ({{langx|ar|مرسى مطروح}}), also [[romanization of Arabic|transliterated]] as '''Marsa Matruh''' ([[Standard Arabic]] ''Marsā Maṭrūḥ'', {{IPA|ar|ˈmæɾsæ mɑtˤˈɾuːħ|}}), is a [[port]] in [[Egypt]] and the capital of [[Matrouh Governorate]]. It is located {{convert|240|km|mi|abbr=on}} west of [[Alexandria]] and {{convert|222|km|mi|abbr=on}} east of [[Sallum]] on the main highway from the [[Nile Delta]] to the [[Egypt–Libya border|Libyan border]]. The city is also accessible from the south via another highway running through [[Western Desert (Egypt)|the Western Desert]] towards [[Siwa Oasis]] and [[Bahariya Oasis]].

Mersa Matruh was a major [[cura annonae|grain port]] under the [[Roman Egypt|Romans]] and a military base of the [[British Egypt|British Empire]]. During [[World War II]], several battles were fought around its environs as the Italo-German [[Panzer Army Africa]] attempted to capture the port. It fell to the [[Axis powers|Axis]] during the [[Battle of Mersa Matruh]] but was recaptured following the [[Second Battle of El Alamein]].

Mersa Matruh is served by [[Mersa Matruh International Airport]]. The city features soft white sand beaches and calm transparent waters; the bay is protected from the high seas by a series of rocks forming a natural [[breakwater (structure)|breakwater]], with a small opening to allow access for light vessels.

== History ==
Mersa Matruh began as a small fishing town but was important enough to host an [[ancient Egyptian religion|Egyptian]] [[ancient Egyptian temple|temple]] under [[Ramesses II]] {{c.|1200}}{{nbsp}}BC. It prospered as the port for the 8th-century BC [[oracle]] of [[Amun Ra]] at the [[Siwa Oasis]]. 

It became known as '''Ammonia''' ({{langx|grc|Ἀμμωνία}}, {{italics correction|''Ammōnía''}}){{fact|date=March 2024}} after the [[Alexander's conquest of Egypt|conquest]] of [[Persian Egypt|Egypt]] by [[Alexander the Great]] of [[Macedonian Empire|Macedon]] in the 4th century BC. Under the [[Ptolemaic dynasty|Ptolemaic]] [[dynasties of ancient Egypt|dynasty]] and [[Roman Egypt|Romans]], it was also known as '''Paraetonium'''<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0064%3Aalphabetic+letter%3DP%3Aentry+group%3D3%3Aentry%3Dparaetonium-geo Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography (1854), Paraetonium]</ref><ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.01.0239:book=17:chapter=1 Strabo, Geography, 17.1]</ref> ({{langx|grc-x-koine|Παραιτόνιον}}, ''Paraitónion''; {{Langx|cop|ⲧⲡⲁⲣⲁⲧⲟⲛⲓⲟⲛ}}, ''Tparatonion'').<ref>{{Cite book |last=George of Cyprus |title=Georgii Cyprii Descriptio orbis romani |publisher=B. G. Teubneri |year=1890 |location=Cornell University |pages=142}}</ref> It served as a major transit port for [[cura annonae|Egyptian grain]] to [[ancient Rome|Rome]]. [[Ovid]] wrote that its patron goddess during his era was [[Isis]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://topostext.org/work/141#9.764|title=ToposText|website=topostext.org|access-date=2019-12-30}}</ref>

The city was [[Christianization of the Roman empire|Christianized]] by the 6th century, when a chapel was built in the [[Byzantine architecture|Byzantine style]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Goodchild |first=R. G. |date=1991 |title=A Byzantine Chapel at Marsa Matruh (Paraitonium) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40000580 |journal=Journal of the American Research Center in Egypt |volume=28 |pages=201–211 |doi=10.2307/40000580 |jstor=40000580 |issn=0065-9991|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

After the 7th-century [[Islamic conquest of Egypt|conquest]] of [[Byzantine Egypt|Egypt]] by the [[Caliphate]], it became known as '''Baritun''' ({{Langx|ar|البارتون}}, ''al-Bāritūn''). The city also bore other names from at least the beginning of the 20th century: Berek Marsa, Port Mhaddra (Mithr), and Port Bardiah.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N2tvuRaSPzAC&pg=PA164 |title=Geographical Dictionary Of The World In The Early 20th Century With Pronouncing Gazetteer (in 2 Vos.)|last=Raza|first=Moonis|date=1990|publisher=Concept Publishing Company|isbn=978-81-7268-011-4|language=en}}</ref>

During [[World War II]], the [[British Army]]'s [[Baggush Box]] was located to the east of the city. Starting with the completion of an extension from the previous railhead at Fuka in February 1936,<ref>Playfair, Vol. I, page 3.</ref> Mersa Matruh was the terminus for a single-track [[railway]], which passed through [[El Alamein]]. Mersa Matruh served as a vital British military base during [[World War II]] and was a major objective of [[Erwin Rommel]]'s [[Afrika Korps]], which captured it during the [[Battle of Mersa Matruh]].

During the [[Arab Spring]] in early 2011, protests broke out in the city. On the evening of 2 October 2023, during the lead up to the [[2023 Egyptian presidential election]], a [[Nation's Future Party]] (Mostakbal El-Watan) rally in support of [[Abdel Fattah El-Sisi]] turned into Anti-Sisi protests with protesters burning photos of El-Sisi and chanting chants against him.{{fact|date=February 2024}}

== Geography ==

=== Climate ===
Mersa Matruh has a dry-summer [[hot desert climate]] (''BWhs'') according to [[Köppen climate classification]], but winds blowing from the [[Mediterranean Sea]] greatly moderate the temperature, making its summers moderately hot and humid while its winters are mild and moderately [[precipitation (meteorology)|wet]]. Summers are sunny and see little rainfall, while in the colder months, there is some rain and cloud cover. [[Ice pellets|Sleet]] and [[hail]] are common in winter.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

Mersa Matruh and [[Port Said#Climate|Port Said]] have the coolest summer days of all Egyptian cities and resorts, although not significantly cooler than other northern coastal places. Additionally [[Rafah, Egypt#Climate|Rafah]], [[Alexandria#Climate|Alexandria]], [[Abu Qir#Climate|Abu Qir]], [[Rosetta#Climate|Rosetta]], [[Baltim#Climate|Baltim]], [[Kafr el-Dawwar#Climate|Kafr el-Dawwar]] and Mersa Matruh are the wettest in [[climate of Egypt|Egypt]].

{{Clear}}
{{Weather box
|location = Mersa Matruh ([[Marsa Matruh International Airport]]) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1920–present
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 30.6
|Feb record high C = 34.0
|Mar record high C = 40.0
|Apr record high C = 43.5
|May record high C = 44.1
|Jun record high C = 46.2
|Jul record high C = 45.0
|Aug record high C = 43.0
|Sep record high C = 42.5
|Oct record high C = 39.3
|Nov record high C = 36.7
|Dec record high C = 29.2

|Jan high C = 18.1
|Feb high C = 18.7
|Mar high C = 20.5
|Apr high C = 23.2
|May high C = 25.7
|Jun high C = 28.2
|Jul high C = 29.9
|Aug high C = 30.5
|Sep high C = 29.7
|Oct high C = 27.3
|Nov high C = 23.5
|Dec high C = 19.7
|year high C = 24.5
|Jan mean C = 13.5
|Feb mean C = 14.0
|Mar mean C = 15.7
|Apr mean C = 18.1
|May mean C = 20.9
|Jun mean C = 24.1
|Jul mean C = 26.1
|Aug mean C = 26.7
|Sep mean C = 25.6
|Oct mean C = 23.0
|Nov mean C = 18.9
|Dec mean C = 15.2
|year mean C = 20.2
|Jan low C = 9.5
|Feb low C = 9.6
|Mar low C = 11.1
|Apr low C = 13.3
|May low C = 16.2
|Jun low C = 19.7
|Jul low C = 22.1
|Aug low C = 22.7
|Sep low C = 21.4
|Oct low C = 18.6
|Nov low C = 14.6
|Dec low C = 11.2
|year low C = 15.8

|Jan record low C = 1.0
|Feb record low C = 2.0
|Mar record low C = 2.2
|Apr record low C = 5.0
|May record low C = 7.8
|Jun record low C = 9.8
|Jul record low C = 12.9
|Aug record low C = 17.0
|Sep record low C = 10.0
|Oct record low C = 0.0
|Nov record low C = 6.0
|Dec record low C = 0.0

|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 35.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 21.2
|Mar precipitation mm = 7.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 3.0
|May precipitation mm = 1.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 0.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 0.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 0.2
|Sep precipitation mm = 0.6
|Oct precipitation mm = 9.3
|Nov precipitation mm = 21.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 32.4
|year precipitation mm = 132.9
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 5.7
|Feb precipitation days = 4.9
|Mar precipitation days = 1.7
|Apr precipitation days = 1.0
|May precipitation days = 0.5
|Jun precipitation days = 0.6
|Jul precipitation days = 0.0
|Aug precipitation days = 0.0
|Sep precipitation days = 0.2
|Oct precipitation days = 1.3
|Nov precipitation days = 2.5
|Dec precipitation days = 4.6
|year precipitation days = 23.0

|Jan humidity = 71
|Feb humidity = 69
|Mar humidity = 68
|Apr humidity = 66
|May humidity = 73
|Jun humidity = 73
|Jul humidity = 75
|Aug humidity = 73
|Sep humidity = 71
|Oct humidity = 70
|Nov humidity = 68
|Dec humidity = 69
|year humidity = 70.5
| Jan dew point C = 7.2
| Feb dew point C = 7.4
| Mar dew point C = 8.5
| Apr dew point C = 10.7
| May dew point C = 14.5
| Jun dew point C = 17.5
| Jul dew point C = 19.9
| Aug dew point C = 20.2
| Sep dew point C = 18.4
| Oct dew point C = 15.5
| Nov dew point C = 11.7
| Dec dew point C = 8.3
| year dew point C = 13.3

|Jan sun = 196.3
|Feb sun = 214.5
|Mar sun = 254.1
|Apr sun = 269.1
|May sun = 316.7
|Jun sun = 355.4
|Jul sun = 371.9
|Aug sun = 356.3
|Sep sun = 309.2
|Oct sun = 268.2
|Nov sun = 222.2
|Dec sun = 196.6
|year sun = 3330.5
|source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] (humidity, dew point, sun 1961–1990)<ref name=WMOCLINO>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231003035818/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Egypt/CSV/MersaMatruh_62306.csv
| archive-date = 3 October 2023
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Egypt/CSV/MersaMatruh_62306.csv
| title = Mersa Matruh Airport Normals 1991–2020
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 3 October 2023}}</ref><ref name=WMOCliRef>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231003040515/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-I/UB/62306.TXT
| archive-date = October 3, 2023
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-I/UB/62306.TXT
| title = Mersa Matruh (A) Normals 1961–1990
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = October 3, 2023}}</ref>
|source 2= Meteo Climat (record temperatures)<ref name="MeteoClimat">{{cite web
| url = http://meteo-climat-bzh.dyndns.org/station-2109.php
| title = Station Mersa Matruh
| publisher = Meteo Climat
| access-date = 3 October 2023
| language = fr}}</ref>

}}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Mersa Matruh mean sea temperature<ref name="Weather2Travel">{{cite web|title=Marsa Matruh Climate and Weather Averages, Egypt|url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/egypt/marsa-matruh.php|publisher=Weather to Travel|access-date=13 July 2013}}</ref>
|-
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
|-
|{{convert|18|°C}}
|{{convert|17|°C}}
|{{convert|17|°C}}
|{{convert|18|°C}}
|{{convert|20|°C}}
|{{convert|23|°C}}
|{{convert|25|°C}}
|{{convert|26|°C}}
|{{convert|26|°C}}
|{{convert|25|°C}}
|{{convert|22|°C}}
|{{convert|20|°C}}
|}

== Main sights ==
* Ruins of the Temple of the King, Pharaoh [[Ramesses II]] (1200 BC)
* Drowned city of [[Julius Caesar|Caesar]].
* Drowned Palace of [[Cleopatra VII|Cleopatra]].
* Egyptian Fleet Anchorage which was built by the [[Ptolemies]]. The remains of the naval installations still stand west of the port.
* Coptic Chapel: built in the early Coptic age, it contains several caves bearing inscriptions.
* Rommel's Hideout: a cave, hewn in the rock, where Rommel drew up plans for his military operations. It has now been turned into a military museum.
* The British Cemetery: thousands of rock-hewn tombstones stand in straight rows amidst a fenced garden.
* The German Cemetery: a fortress-like memorial that was built on a height overlooking the sea.
* The Italian Cemetery: a high tower fort standing on a high hill. The walls of the building are covered with marble.
* [[Matrouh Archaeology Museum]]

== Main beaches ==
* Ageebah Beach: About 28&nbsp;km west of Mersa Matruh downtown, distinguished by its numerous natural caves
* Al-Obayed Beach: About 20&nbsp;km west of downtown Mersa Matruh
* Rommel Bay

== Photo gallery ==
<gallery class="center">
File:Mersa_Matruh_1.jpg|Mural in front of the Matrouh Governorate building
File:Mersa_Matruh_2.jpg|The {{em|corniche}}
File:Mersa_Matruh_3.jpg|City beaches
File:Rommel_beach_1.jpg|Rommel Beach
File:El_Gharam_beach_2.jpg|El Gharam Beach ("Love Beach") (1)
File:El_Gharam_beach_1.jpg|El Gharam Beach ("Love Beach") (2)
File:El_Awwam_Mosque_2.jpg|Al-Awam mosque
File:Matrouh_Governorate.jpg|Governorate building
</gallery>

==See also==
{{portal|Egypt}}
* [[List of cities and towns in Egypt]]
* [[Northern coast of Egypt]]

==References==
{{Commons category|Mersa Matruh}}
{{reflist}}
* {{cite web|url=http://www.fallingrain.com/world/EG/22/Marsa_Matruh.html|title=Geographical information on Marsa Matruh, Egypt|access-date=2008-03-23|author=Falling Rain Genomics, Inc}}

==External links==
*[http://www.imagesjourney.com/Main.aspx?Category=58 Marsa Matrouh images]

==Sources==
*{{cite book|first1=Major-General I.S.O.|last1=Playfair|author-link1=Ian Stanley Ord Playfair|last3= with Flynn|first3=Captain F.C. (R.N.)|last2=Molony|first2=Brigadier C.J.C.|last4=Gleave|first4= Group Captain T.P.|editor-last=Butler|editor-first=Sir James|editor-link=James Ramsay Montagu Butler|series=History of the Second World War, United Kingdom Military Series|title=The Mediterranean and Middle East, Volume I: The Early Successes Against Italy, to May 1941|publisher= Naval & Military Press|location=Uckfield, UK|year=2009|orig-year=1st. pub. [[HMSO]]:1954|isbn= 978-1-84574-065-8|name-list-style=amp}}

{{Authority control}}
{{Cities of Egypt}}
{{Governorates capital of Egypt}}
{{Egyptian Cities}}

[[Category:Mersa Matruh| ]]
[[Category:Governorate capitals in Egypt]]
[[Category:Populated places in Matrouh Governorate]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Egypt]]
[[Category:Tourism in Egypt]]
[[Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in Egypt]]