Mersa Matruh

Mersa Matruh مرسى مطروح
City
Flag Seal
Mersa Matruh Location in Egypt
Coordinates: 31°20′N 27°13′E / 31.333°N 27.217°E / 31.333; 27.217
Country	Egypt
Governorate	Matrouh
Area [1]
• Total	1,033 sq mi (2,675 km2)
Elevation [1]	23 ft (7 m)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	228,154
• Density	220/sq mi (85/km2)
• Ethnicities	Egyptians Bedouins & Egyptian-Libyans.
Time zone	UTC+2 (EST)
Area code	(+20) 46

Mersa Matruh (Arabic: مرسى مطروح), also transliterated as Marsa Matruh (Standard Arabic Marsā Maṭrūḥ, [ˈmæɾsæ mɑtˤˈɾuːħ]), is a port in Egypt and the capital of Matrouh Governorate. It is located 240 km (150 mi) west of Alexandria and 222 km (138 mi) east of Sallum on the main highway from the Nile Delta to the Libyan border. The city is also accessible from the south via another highway running through the Western Desert towards Siwa Oasis and Bahariya Oasis.

Mersa Matruh was a major grain port under the Romans and a military base of the 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 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, with a small opening to allow access for light vessels.