El-Alamein Attractions

The modest village of El-Alamein gained a place in history during the Second World War, when, in the late summer and autumn of 1942, the advance of Rommel's Afrika Korps was halted by British forces in a series of bloody battles in which some 80,000 men on both sides were killed or wounded. El-Alamein now attracts many visitors to its military cemetery and war memorials.

In 1966 promising reserves of oil were found in the vicinity, and extraction began in 1968, giving a considerable boost to the economy of the area.

History

During the German-Italian offensive in North Africa, which had been ordered by Hitler and Mussolini, a German and Italian armored force commanded by General Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) advanced from Tobruk (Libya) and on June 30,1942, in the First Battle of El-Alamein, captured Hill 26 and occupied positions at El-Alamein.