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

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 25 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

The Egyptian Unknown Soldier Memorial, Sde Yoav, a monument to the memory of four Egyptian soldiers, including Ahmed Abdel-Aziz, who fell in the battle of Al-Falouja in 1948.

An unknown soldier memorial for Egyptian soldiers of the 1948 war stands at 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.[4] It was erected under the terms of the 1979 Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. The inscriptions on the four edges are in Hebrew, Arabic, English and hieroglyphics.[5]

Egyptians soldiers memorial of Battles of Negba at Sde Yoav

Another monument erected under the terms of the 1979 peace treaty stands near Fort Yoav in Southern Israel. The Egyptians had requested to place a memorial for soldiers fallen in Negba as one had been placed to commemorate the Israeli fallen. Due to local opposition, the monument was placed in nearby Sde Yoav.[6][7] It is a monument to four Egyptian soldiers – two colonels, a sergeant and a private.[8] Like its Ad Halom counterpart, it too is inscribed in Hebrew, Arabic, English and hieroglyphics.

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 Israeli 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 over 20,000 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 CairoNasr City, Cairo1975 by the artist Sami RafiTo honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1973 October War1973 October WarMade 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
Alexandria October war unknown Soldier MemorialEl-Shohada Square, Alexandria1970s?To honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1973 October War1973 October War-31°11′35″N 29°54′22″E
Alexandria Naval Unknown Soldier MemorialManshaya district sea shore at Alexandria1964dedicated to the Egyptian naval unknown soldiers who lost their lives in the sea battlesEgyptian Revolution of 1952Originally a memorial to Khedive Ismail built by Italian residents of Alexandria31°11′59″N 29°53′37″E
Port Said Martyrs MemorialAl-Sharq District, Port Said1950sto commemorate the martyrs of Port Said in the battles of the tripartite aggression during the Suez Crisis1956 Suez Crisisconstructed in the form of Pharaonic obelisk covered with grey granite31°15′11″N 32°18′18″E
The Desouk unknown Soldier & October war martyrs MemorialDesouk, Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate1970sTo honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1973 October War1973 October War-31°07′37″N 30°38′33″E
The Sadat City unknown Soldier & October war martyrs MemorialDesouk, Kafr el-Sheikh Governorate1970sTo honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1973 October War1973 October War-30°21′59″N 30°30′11″E
Ismailia Unknown Soldier MemorialIsmailia1970sTo honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the Battle of Ismailia1973 October WarMade of concrete and resembles a bayonet fixed to the muzzle of an AK-4730°34′53″N 32°18′36″E
Ad Halom area Egyptian unknown Soldier MemorialAd Halom, Ashdod; Israel1980sTo honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1948 Arab Israeli war1948 Arab–Israeli WarErected as a part of Camp David Accords. The inscriptions on the four edges are in Hebrew, Arabic, English and hieroglyphs.31°46′00″N 34°39′58″E
Battles of Negba Unknown Soldier Memorial in Sde YoavSde Yoav, Israel1980sTo honour of Egyptians who lost their lives in the 1948 Battles of Negba and Al-Falouja, especially four Egyptian soldiers including Ahmed Abdel-Aziz1948 Arab–Israeli WarErected as a part of Camp David Accords. The inscriptions on the four edges are in Hebrew, Arabic, English and hieroglyphs.31°38′36″N 34°40′53″E
Egyptian troops Kuwait war memorialKuwait1990sTo honour 12 Egyptian soldiers who fell in the Kuwait war during the Liberation of Kuwait campaign during Operation Desert StormOperation Desert StormMade 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
Sana'a Monument for Egyptians MartyrsSana'a, Yemen1960sTo honour for the memory of the over 20,000 Egyptian soldiers that died during the North Yemen Civil War in 1965North Yemen Civil War-15°20′54″N 44°12′23″E

References

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