Unknown Soldier Memorial (Egypt)
Many Unknown Soldier Memorials for Egyptian and Arab soldiers were constructed inside and outside Egypt. The most famous is the one in Cairo.
The Unknown Soldier Memorial in Cairo is a pyramid-shaped monument in Nasr City. Its construction was ordered by president Anwar Sadat in 1974 in honour of Egyptians and Arabs who lost their lives in the 1973 October War. It was inaugurated in October 1975. The site was also chosen for the president's tomb after his assassination in October 1981.
Cairo Memorial
The monument is made of concrete and resembles a hollow pyramid, with a height of 36.64 meters, and a base width of 14.3 meters. The four pillars are 1.9 meters thick, and are inscribed with 71 symbolic names. At the center of the base is a solid basalt cube representing the soldier's tomb. The memorial is open to visitors at all times. It was designed by the artist Sami Rafi, a Professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts in Cairo who obtained his PhD from the Faculty of Fine Arts in Vienna.[1] A small memorial to the martyrs of 1973 war is present in the 6th of October Panorama.
Other Memorials
Egypt
Alexandria
An Unknown Soldier monument commemorating those who lost their lives in the October War is located in El-Shohada Square, Alexandria (though of a completely different design).
Alexandria Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial
A memorial dedicated to the unknown soldiers who lost their lives in the sea battles, it is present on the sea shore at Alexandria.[2]
Port Said Martyrs Memorial
The Port Said Martyrs Memorial commemorates the martyrs of Port Said in the battles of the tripartite aggression during the Suez Crisis in 1956. It exists in Al-Sharq District, Port Said.[3]
Desouk
There is an unknown Soldier & October war martyrs Memorial in Desouk, Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate.
Sadat City
There is an Egyptian unknown Soldier & October war Memorial at the entrance of Sadat City.
Ismailia
The Egyptian unknown Soldier & October war Memorial at Ismailyia was erected to commemorate the victory of Egyptian army at the Battle of Ismailia.
Israel
Ad Halom area in Israel
An unknown soldier memorial for Egyptian soldiers of the 1948 war is present in Ad Halom, also known as "the Ad Halom commemoration wall".[4] The Ad Halom memorial (Ashdod) marks the northernmost point in Israel to which the Egyptian army advanced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It is a monument to four Egyptian soldiers – two colonels, a sergeant and a private.[4][5] As part of Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt, a monument in the memory of the fallen Egyptian soldiers was established. It was compensation for the abandonment of Israeli obelisks in the Sinai peninsula. The inscriptions on the four edges are in Hebrew, Arabic, English and hieroglyphs.[6]
Memorial for fallen Egyptian soldiers in the Negev
Under the terms of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty a memorial for fallen Egyptian soldiers in the Negev was erected.[7]
Egyptians soldiers memorial of Battles of Negba at Sde Yoav
see Battles of Negba The Egyptians requested to place a memorial for soldiers fallen in Negba as the monument made to commemorate the Israeli fallen. Due to local opposition, the monument was placed in nearby Sde Yoav.[8]
Palestinian Occupied territories
Beit Nuba Egyptians soldiers memorial, Ramallah; West Bank
A monument was erected in the village of Beit Nuba west the city of Ramallah in the West Bank in memory of 10 Egyptian soldiers bravery during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. It is dedicated to the Egyptian soldiers who refused to surrender the area to Jordan, then the Zionist forces bomb them causing their death.[9] The monument was built on July 17, 2012[10] as a joint effort between the Egyptian embassy and the Fatah party.[9]
Israeli forces entered Beit Nuba on 12 December 2012 and notified the villagers that the monument and buildings would be demolished.[9] The Egyptian Minister of Foreign affairs made contacts with the Egyptian ambassador in the Palestinian territories, to stop the Israeli decision to demolish the Beit Nuba monument of the Egyptian soldiers.[10] Palestinians organized a march and sit-in to protest the decision to demolish the monument.[10]
Kuwait
Egyptian troops Kuwait war memorial
A memorial for the Egyptian troops who fell in the Kuwait war during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign during the Operation Desert Storm. It is displayed at the Kuwait National Memorial Museum to show Egypt's contribution to the liberation. It commemorates Egypt loss of 12 soldiers.[11]
Yemen
Sana'a Monument for Egyptians Martyrs
The Monument for Egyptians Martyrs at Sana'a, Yemen was erected for the memory of the 70,000 Egyptian soldiers that died during the North Yemen Civil War in 1965.[12][13][14]
Table
Memorial Name | Location | Establishment date & designer | Aim | Time Era | Comments | Coordinates |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Unknown Soldier Memorial in Cairo | Nasr City, Cairo | 1975 by the artist Sami Rafi | To honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1973 October War | 1973 October War | made of concrete and resembles a hollow pyramid, with a height of 36.64 meters, and a base width of 14.3 meters. | 30°03′54″N 31°18′50″E / 30.06500°N 31.31389°E |
Alexandria October war unknown Soldier Memorial | El-Shohada Square, Alexandria | 1970s? | To honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1973 October War | 1973 October War | - | 31°11′35″N 29°54′22″E / 31.19306°N 29.90611°E |
Alexandria Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial | Manshaya district sea shore at Alexandria | 1964 | dedicated to the Egyptian naval unknown soldiers who lost their lives in the sea battles | Egyptian Revolution of 1952 | Originally a memorial to Khedive Ismail built by Italian residents of Alexandria | 31°11′59″N 29°53′37″E / 31.19972°N 29.89361°E |
Port Said Martyrs Memorial | Al-Sharq District, Port Said | 1950s | to commemorate the martyrs of Port Said in the battles of the tripartite aggression during the Suez Crisis | 1956 Suez Crisis | constructed in the form of Pharaonicobelisk covered with grey granite | 31°15′11″N 32°18′18″E / 31.25306°N 32.30500°E |
The Desouk unknown Soldier & October war martyrs Memorial | Desouk, Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate | 1970s | To honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1973 October War | 1973 October War | - | 31°07′37″N 30°38′33″E / 31.12694°N 30.64250°E |
The Sadat City unknown Soldier & October war martyrs Memorial | Desouk, Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate | 1970s | To honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1973 October War | 1973 October War | - | 30°21′59″N 30°30′11″E / 30.36639°N 30.50306°E |
Ismailia Unknown Soldier Memorial | Ismailia | 1970s | To honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the Battle of Ismailia | 1973 October War | made of concrete and resembles a top of a gun | 30°34′53″N 32°18′36″E / 30.58139°N 32.31000°E |
Ad Halom area Egyptian unknown Soldier Memorial | Ad Halom area, Ashdod; Israel | 1980s | To honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1948 Arab Israeli war especially four Egyptian soldiers who fell in the battle of Al-Falouja, 1948 including Ahmed Abdel-Aziz | 1948 Arab–Israeli War | Erected as a part of Camp David Accords in compensation for the abandonment of Israeli obelisks in the Sinai peninsula. The inscriptions on the four edges are in Hebrew, Arabic, English and hieroglyphs. | 31°46′00″N 34°39′58″E / 31.76667°N 34.66611°E |
Battles of Negba Unknown Soldier Memorial in Sde Yoav | Sde Yoav, Israel | 1980s | To honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the Battles of Negba | 1948 Arab–Israeli War | - | 31°38′36″N 34°40′53″E / 31.64333°N 34.68139°E |
Egyptian troops Kuwait war memorial | Kuwait | 1990s | To honour 12 Egyptian soldiers who fell in the Kuwait war during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign during the Operation Desert Storm | 1973 October War | made of concrete and resembles a hollow pyramid, with a height of 36.64 meters, and a base width of 14.3 meters. | 30°03′54″N 31°18′50″E / 30.06500°N 31.31389°E |
Sana'a Monument for Egyptians Martyrs | Sana'a, Yemen | 1960s | To honour for the memory of the 70,000 Egyptian soldiers that died during the North Yemen Civil War in 1965 | North Yemen Civil War | - | 15°20′54″N 44°12′23″E / 15.34833°N 44.20639°E |
Photo gallery
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Cairo October 6 Memorial stone
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October War Unknown Soldier Monument, in El-Shohada Square, Alexandria
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Naval Unknown Soldier Memorial as seen from the shore of Alexandria
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The Egyptian unknown Soldier & October war martyrs Memorial, Desouk
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The Egyptian unknown Soldier & October war Memorial, Sadat City
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The Egyptian unknown Soldier & October war Memorial, Ismailyia
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Monument to the memory of four Egyptian soldiers who fell in the battle of Al-Falouja in 1948 including Ahmed Abdel-Aziz
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General view of the Memorial for Egyptian soldiers in Israel
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The Egyptian unknown Soldier Memorial, Ad Halom area in Israel
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Egyptian troops positions during Operation Desert Storm
References
- ↑ Unknown soldier memorial, Egypt state information
- ↑ naval Unknown soldier memorial
- ↑ http://www.portsaid.gov.eg/English/Tourism/TouristAttractions/Details.aspx?ID=2
- 1 2 http://www.ynetnews.com/|Seven fascinating memorials
- ↑ dignity-of-enemy
- ↑ Na'aman, Ayelet (2009-04-28). "7 fascinating memorials". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
- ↑ http://www.timesofisrael.com/sinai-group-aims-to-paint-idf-monument-in-egyptian-colors/
- ↑ Aner, Ze'ev ed. (1998). Stories of Kibbutzim. Ministry of Defense Publishing. ISBN 965-05-0946-1. (Hebrew) P.138
- 1 2 3 http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/egypt-seeks-halt-israel-s-decision-demolish-egyptians-martyrs-monument Egypt seeks halt Israel decision to demolish Egyptians martyrs monument
- 1 2 3 http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7%2f%2fXTDxwGfcRmBvr8Yyo4Tm7xvPXs0axIA4zRTANmyhQFPVaqmuQ0%2bN62hjCoqq4YRxviyqXcfSIMxLpXm9BtfIznlaaeQreB7YDs5C5G4q4%3d Cairo moves to stop the Israeli decision to demolish an Egyptian monument
- ↑ troops memorial in Kuwait
- ↑ http://www.geolocation.ws/v/P/41007376/the-monument-for-egyptians-martyrs-sanaa/en
- ↑ http://www.panoramio.com/photo/41007376
- ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/3613986.stm
External links
- Official Website (Arabic)
Coordinates: 30°03′54″N 31°18′50″E / 30.06500°N 31.31389°E