Esh Shatt – Remembrance and History on the Suez Canal

The Croatian memorial cemetery is located in the El Shatt area. Esh Shatt is therefore primarily associated with a history of exile and remembrance. The landscape along the Suez Canal and the memory of the refugee camps give the place a distinctive historical character: here, the story can be explored through the people involved, where they came from, and a cemetery that remained after the war.

The History of the Refugee Camp

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 camp was run jointly by the British military, Yugoslav Partisans, and international humanitarian organizations. This history makes El Shatt a tangible place of remembrance for exile and displacement, connected to a specific region of origin and a clearly defined period.

The location is also part of the picture of the camp complex at the time: it stood on the banks of the Suez Canal, on desert sand. Historically, Ash Shatt was described as a small village on the canal bank opposite Suez; the settlement developed after the Suez Canal opened. The history of the village and that of the later refugee camp thus share a geographical setting, without confusing their distinct time periods.

The Cemetery and Memorial Complex

The remains of 856 people who died during their exile in El Shatt now lie in the cemetery. A memorial complex stands at the foot of the nine-meter-high “Majka Dalmatinka” monument. After the war, a five-pointed, star-shaped cemetery remained, overlooked by a statue of a grieving mother. The number, shape, and monument describe different aspects of the same place of remembrance: the people buried here and the memory of the refugee camp. For understanding Esh Shatt, this connection matters more than a general account of the canal.

Earlier Functions Along the Canal

The local history also includes facilities for administration and shipping. In 1906, a police center and a rest house for traveling officials of the provincial administration were built in Ash Shatt. A maritime quarantine station was also established there for passengers on infected ships stopping in Suez. These facilities are part of the area's history; they do not describe its present-day use. Together with the village's development after the canal opened, they show that Ash Shatt's history is not limited to the camp years.

A Different Perspective in the Wider Suez Destination

In the wider Suez destination, the Suez National Museum offers its own cultural and historical focus. It presents the history and antiquities of the city from prehistoric times to the modern era. Its themes include mining, shipbuilding, Egypt's trade relations, and Suez's important role in the pilgrimage to Mecca. The museum houses a stele of the Persian king Darius I, associated with a canal between the Nile and the Red Sea. Its garden also features a modern replica of a ship from the reign of Hatshepsut in the New Kingdom. Two distinct historical perspectives therefore sit side by side: in Esh Shatt, the focus is on exile and remembrance; in the National Museum, it is on Suez's longer urban and canal history.

Choose Your Travel Focus

Your reason for traveling is a good starting point when searching for a vacation rental. If you are especially interested in the memorial cemetery, the history of exile, and the refugees' origins, Esh Shatt offers a fitting thematic focus. If your interests lie more in the city's history and the themes explored at the National Museum, you can consider Suez as a separate search destination. This distinction can help you choose a destination based on the historical topics that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Suez, El-Hafair, Adabiya, Nû.

Go to the wider travel overview: Suez.