Tall Al Kebir Travel Guide
Tall al Kebir is 75 km south of Port Said at an altitude of 29m and is located on the edge of the desert. It is also close to Cairo, being only 110 km away. Many locals also know this place as Tel-el-Kebir (grand mound). Tall al Kebir lies in the Ismailiya governate of Egypt. The modern city of Matariyah, known as the City of On in ancient times, located to the southwest of the mound, is believed to be the first place where the cotton plant was cultivated in Egypt. The ruins of this ancient city were also used as a camp by the Egyptian troops. Tall al Kebir is most famous for being the site of the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir.
Getting To Tall al Kebir
The Cairo International Airport is just 60 km from Tall al Kebir, and the local airports of Ramadan and Shark Elowainat are also only a few kilometers away. By road, the city is just 4 km away from the Isamiliya-Zagazig road. There are a few hotels, or one can also stop by the town at other nearby hotels. A taxi can be arranged through many of the travel agents who conduct such tours.
Importance of Tall al Kebir
Tall al Kebir was important during both world wars, but the most crucial event that has fetched a name for the city is undoubtedly the Battle of Tel-el Kebir. The Tel el Soughayar, known as the small mound, has Pharaonic remains, storehouse buildings, and some coins from the Greco-Roman period. In 1832, when Egyptian troops captured the city of Jaffa in Palestine, Egyptian Muslims settled around the town and founded many villages. One of the villages was named Abu Kabir in fond memory of their hometown, Tall al Kebir, and this gives the city a strong connection with the village in Palestine.
The Historic Battle of Tall al Kebir
In 1882, the British army under General Wolseley fought the Egyptians, whom Ahmed Urabi led. The Egyptians were preventing the British army from reaching Cairo. At Tall al Kebir, owing to the flat ground and desert, the British army decided to attack their enemies at dawn and marched through the desert at night, aided by the stars. An intense fight followed, but the sudden attack proved disastrous for the Egyptian army, and they had to flee. The 1882 Egyptian campaign was also the last campaign where the British soldiers wore their infamous red coats.
The Importance of Tall al Kebir In The World Wars
Though some soldiers described Tall al Kebir as dirty during World War I, it was a training center for many First Australian Imperial Force soldiers. The city also served as a prisoner-of-war camp and an Australian stationery hospital. During the Second World War, Tall al Kebir was the location of a large ordnance depot and a base vehicle depot, which was in use during the war and for several years after it.
War Memorial Cemetery
The War Memorial Cemetery is located east of the railway station and the Ismailia Canal. It was used from 1915 to 1920 and later enlarged to hold many graves transferred from other sites. It now has 526 graves from the Second World War and 65 from the First World War. There are also a few graves of British soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Tall al Kebir.
Tall al Kebir Medals
These medals are collector’s items and are available on many internet sites. The
Tall al Kebir is 75 km south of Port Said at an altitude of 29m and is located on the edge of the desert. It is also not far from Cairo, only 110 km away. Many locals also know this place as Tel-el-Kebir (grand mound). Tall al Kebir lies in the Ismailiya governate of Egypt. The modern city of Matariyah, known as the City of On in ancient times, located to the southwest of the mound, is believed to be the first place where the cotton plant was cultivated in Egypt. The ruins of this ancient city were also used as a camp by the Egyptian troops. Tall al Kebir is most famous for being the site of the Battle of Tel-el-Kebir.
Getting To Tall al Kebir
The Cairo International Airport is just 60 km from Tall al Kebir, and the local airports of Ramadan and Shark Elowainat are also only a few kilometers away. By road, the city is just 4 km away from the Isamiliya-Zagazig road. There are a few hotels, or one can also stop by the town at other nearby hotels. A taxi can be arranged through many of the travel agents who conduct such tours.
Importance of Tall al Kebir
Tall al Kebir was important during both world wars, but the most crucial event that has fetched a name for the city is undoubtedly the Battle of Tel-el Kebir. The Tel el Soughayar, known as the small mound, has Pharaonic remains, storehouse buildings, and some coins from the Greco-Roman period. In 1832, when Egyptian troops captured the city of Jaffa in Palestine, Egyptian Muslims settled around the town and founded many villages. One of the villages was named Abu Kabir in fond memory of their hometown, Tall al Kebir, and this gives the city a strong connection with the village in Palestine.
The Historic Battle of Tall al Kebir
In 1882, the British army under General Wolseley fought the Egyptians, whom Ahmed Urabi led. The Egyptians were preventing the British army from reaching Cairo. At Tall al Kebir, owing to the flat ground and desert, the British army decided to attack their enemies at dawn and marched through the desert at night, aided by the stars. An intense fight followed, but the sudden attack proved disastrous for the Egyptian army, and they had to flee. The 1882 Egyptian campaign was also the last campaign where the British soldiers wore their infamous red coats.
The Importance of Tall al Kebir In The World Wars
Though some soldiers described Tall al Kebir as dirty during World War I, it was a training center for many First Australian Imperial Force soldiers. The city also served as a prisoner-of-war camp and an Australian stationery hospital. During the Second World War, Tall al Kebir was the location of a large ordnance depot and a base vehicle depot, which was in use during the war and for several years after it.
War Memorial Cemetery
The War Memorial Cemetery is located east of the railway station and the Ismailia Canal. It was used from 1915 to 1920 and later enlarged to hold many graves transferred from other sites. It now has 526 graves from the Second World War and 65 from the First World War.
There are also a few graves of British soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Tall al Kebir.
Tall al Kebir Medals
These collector’s items are available on many internet sites. The Tall al Kebir medals are also called the Egyptian medals. They were awarded for military actions during the 1882 battle. The ones issued in 1882 have “1882” engraved just below the Sphinx. The second version did not have “1882” on it. The recipient’s name, rank, number, and regiment were engraved on the edge. The medals can also be found in many museums.
The Battle at Tall al Kebir has imprinted the name of Tall al Kebir in history books. This small place may not offer much to the avid tourists, but the graves of all the brave ones who lost their lives in the wars certainly lend a feeling of gravitas to any visit.
