Marina, Egypt
Encyclopedia
Marina, also Marina El Alamein , ancient Leukaspis or Antiphrae, is a tourist village
located on the northern coast of Egypt, with a 11 km long beach. It is situated about 300 km away from Cairo
, in the El Alamein
area. Marina Village is often recognized by Egyptians as an area which caters to the elite of Egypt.
and a town hall that was converted into a Christian
church. It was probably an important trading center between Egypt and Libya
, and appears to have been a major center for Cretian imports. The settlement was destroyed in 365, when an earthquake
off the coast of Crete
created a tsunami
. The town was not rebuilt, partially due to the crumbling state of the Roman Empire
. Leukaspis was lost until 1986, when a group of engineers who were building roads in Marina revealed ancient houses and tombs. 200 acres (80.9 ha) of surrounding land was designated an archeological area, and excavations began in the 1990s. Prior to the site's discovery, the port area of the settlement was destroyed to make a man-made lagoon for a resort.
The Egyptian government plans to open Leukaspis as an open-air museum in mid-September 2010. It is expected to bolster the economy of Marina, attracting tourists year-round. Officials also hope that it will increase tourism to the battlefield in nearby El-Alamein, the site of the First
and Second Battle of El Alamein
. Th Egyptian government is also working to convert nearby Taposiris Magna, the suspected burial place of Cleopatra and Mark Antony
, into a museum.
is a gated community only accessible to those who live inside. Spanning almost 15 miles, this beach resort is split into eight different sections named Marina 1-7. Limestone villas and chalets and beautiful greenery are what characterize this exclusive part of the Middle East. In the summer of 2005, Porto Marina, one of the hottest hotel/mall destinations in the Middle East was opened in the center of Marina Village. Porto Marina is characterized by its Venetian canals and exclusive boutiques, and it has an impressive view over a lake.
There are rumors that the Egyptian government will be building an international airport near Marina due in 2010.
two thousand years ago.
The area was ruined during that period by a tsunami
that resulted from an earthquake that hit Crete
to the northwest.
30°49′N 29°3′E
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
located on the northern coast of Egypt, with a 11 km long beach. It is situated about 300 km away from Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, in the El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
area. Marina Village is often recognized by Egyptians as an area which caters to the elite of Egypt.
History
Leukaspis was a large port town, with a population around 15,000. The center of the town featured a basilicaBasilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
and a town hall that was converted into a Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
church. It was probably an important trading center between Egypt and Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, and appears to have been a major center for Cretian imports. The settlement was destroyed in 365, when an earthquake
365 Crete earthquake
The AD 365 Crete earthquake was an undersea earthquake that occurred at about sunrise on 21 July 365 in the Eastern Mediterranean, with an assumed epicentre near Crete. Geologists today estimate the quake to have been 8 on the Richter Scale or higher, causing widespread destruction in central and...
off the coast of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
created a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
. The town was not rebuilt, partially due to the crumbling state of the Roman Empire
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
. Leukaspis was lost until 1986, when a group of engineers who were building roads in Marina revealed ancient houses and tombs. 200 acres (80.9 ha) of surrounding land was designated an archeological area, and excavations began in the 1990s. Prior to the site's discovery, the port area of the settlement was destroyed to make a man-made lagoon for a resort.
The Egyptian government plans to open Leukaspis as an open-air museum in mid-September 2010. It is expected to bolster the economy of Marina, attracting tourists year-round. Officials also hope that it will increase tourism to the battlefield in nearby El-Alamein, the site of the First
First Battle of El Alamein
The First Battle of El Alamein was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, fought between Axis forces of the Panzer Army Africa commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Allied forces The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert...
and Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
. Th Egyptian government is also working to convert nearby Taposiris Magna, the suspected burial place of Cleopatra and Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
, into a museum.
Tourism
The villageVillage
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
is a gated community only accessible to those who live inside. Spanning almost 15 miles, this beach resort is split into eight different sections named Marina 1-7. Limestone villas and chalets and beautiful greenery are what characterize this exclusive part of the Middle East. In the summer of 2005, Porto Marina, one of the hottest hotel/mall destinations in the Middle East was opened in the center of Marina Village. Porto Marina is characterized by its Venetian canals and exclusive boutiques, and it has an impressive view over a lake.
There are rumors that the Egyptian government will be building an international airport near Marina due in 2010.
Historical overlay
The resort was the site of a bustling Greco-Roman portPort
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
two thousand years ago.
The area was ruined during that period by a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
that resulted from an earthquake that hit Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
to the northwest.
External links
30°49′N 29°3′E