Marsa Matrouh

Fanning out from the cobalt blue bay, this resort city looks as if it were built yester- day. Dozens of mold-and-pour concrete villas accommodate the thousands of Egyptians who annually fall victim to the universal human urge to reach the beach. The natural harbor here has served travelers, merchants, and soldiers from Alexander to Rommel; but now the majority of sea vessels in Matrouh are rented by the hour, and the only major military presence in town patronizes the holiday resorts maintained especially for Air Force and Navy officers. As Alexandria’s beaches become polluted and crowded, more and more expatriates and members of the Egyptian intelligentsia come to Marsa Matrouh for their summer holidays. Few tourists make it out here, but those who do are treated to die finest beaches in Egypt and a tepidly indulgent atmosphere.