El Alamein
El Alamein (or Al Alamayn) is the location in northern Egypt, on the Mediterranean Sea coast, of two pivotal extended battles for control of Africa in the second World War.
The First Battle of El Alamein (July 1942) saw the advance of Axis troops on Alexandria blunted by the Allies, then in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October the same year, Allied forces broke the Axis line and pushed them all the way back to Tunisia.
This was a pivotal victory in the entire Second World War, as it gave the Allies near complete control of north Africa and, as the Allies' first major victory, was vital for morale as it proved the Germans were not invincible.
Today the site hosts a local war museum and cemeteries containing the remains of both German and Italian soldiers. Wherever possible, each tomb bears the soldier's name, but many are simply marked "IGNOTO" – "Unknown".
There is also a Commonwealth war cemetery with graves of soldiers from various countries who fought on the British side including Greek, New Zealand, Australian and South African forces. Rows upon rows of gravestones stand witness to the terrible human cost of war.
