Esh Shatt – Memorial Cemetery and the History of Exile
Accommodation in Esh Shatt
Esh Shatt is primarily associated with the history of the Croatian memorial cemetery at El Shatt and the refugee camps at El Shatt. The cemetery is located in the El Shatt area, away from the Red Sea coast. At the same time, the history of the place extends beyond the camp years: historically, Ash Shatt is considered a small village on the banks of the canal opposite Suez; the settlement was established after the Suez Canal opened. The memorial site and development along the canal represent two distinct historical perspectives on Esh Shatt.
The El Shatt Memorial Cemetery
The remains of 856 people who died in exile at El Shatt lie in the Croatian memorial cemetery. After the war, a five-pointed, star-shaped cemetery remained at El Shatt, surmounted by a statue of a grieving mother. At the foot of the nine-meter-high “Majka Dalmatinka” monument stands a memorial ensemble in the Croatian memorial cemetery. The memorial site can therefore be understood both through the people buried there and through its star-shaped layout and memorial ensemble.
Refugee Camps and Local History
From early 1944 to 1946, more than 25,000 refugees from Yugoslavia stayed in the refugee camps at El Shatt. Most came from the Dalmatian coast and the Dalmatian islands. The two figures in the local history refer to different things: more than 25,000 people stayed in the camps; the figure of 856 refers to people who died in exile and now lie in the cemetery. The scale of the camp population and the commemoration of the dead thus stand side by side.
The camp complex was located on desert sand along the banks of the Suez Canal. It was jointly operated by the British military, Yugoslav partisans, and international humanitarian organizations. After the refugee camp closed, El Shatt was preserved as a memorial site from the outset. The camp years and the subsequent preservation of the site as a place of remembrance thus form two successive chapters in its history.
The history of the area also encompasses other historical functions. A maritime quarantine station was established in Ash Shatt for passengers on ships carrying infectious diseases that stopped in Suez. In 1906, a police center and a rest house for traveling provincial administration officials were established there. Together with the founding of Ash Shatt after the opening of the Suez Canal, these facilities add settlement, administrative, and maritime dimensions to the history of the camps.
Suez: Museum and City History
The Suez National Museum explores the history of the Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean, as well as the history of the city from prehistoric times to the modern era. Its subjects include mining, shipbuilding, Egypt’s trade relations, and Suez’s historical role in the pilgrimage to Mecca. Suez was the starting point for the Egyptian pilgrimage caravan to the Hejaz and an important stop on the pilgrimage route between Egypt, North Africa, and the Hejaz. The museum thus offers a distinct perspective on the history of the canal, the city, and pilgrimage.
The museum’s objects include a stele of the Persian king Darius I, associated with a canal between the Nile and the Red Sea. In the museum garden stands a modern replica of a ship from the reign of Hatshepsut in the New Kingdom. The museum also has a library and an activity center where various educational programs and events take place. Before planning a visit, it is worth checking the latest program information.
Discover more destinations: Adabiya, NĂ», El-Hafair, Suez.
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