Mersa Matruh

Mersa Matruh (also spelled Marsa Matruh and Marsa Matrouh; Arabic: مرسى مطروح‎, IPA: [ˈmæɾsæ mɑtˤˈɾuːħ]) is a seaport in Egypt, the capital of the Matrouh Governorate. It is 240 km (150 mi) west of Alexandria and 222 km from Sallum, on the main highway from the Nile Delta to the Libyan border. Another highway leads south from the town, toward the Western Desert and the oases of Siwa and Bahariya.

During Ancient Egyptian times and during the reign of Alexander The Great, the city was known as Amunia. In Ptolemaic and Byzantine times it was known as Paraitonion (Παραιτόνιον), while in Roman times it was called Paraetonium.

Mersa Matruh is a major tourist resort and serves as a getaway resort for Europeans as well as Cairenes. It is served by Mersa Matruh Airport. The city features soft white sand beaches and calm transparent waters; the bay is protected from the high seas by a series of rocks forming a natural breakwater, with a small opening to allow access for light vessels.