Abu Qir
Encyclopedia
Abū Qīr (also Abukir or Aboukir) is a village on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt
, 23 kilometres (14.3 mi) northeast of Alexandria
by rail, containing a castle used as a state prison by Muhammad Ali of Egypt
.
The name Abū Qīr is pronounced æboˈʔiːɾ in the Egyptian Arabic
(with a glottal stop
in place of the qaf). The name is taken from the name of an Egyptian
Christian
martyr
, named Cyrus
.
Near the village are many remains of ancient buildings, Egyptian, Greek and Roman. About three kilometers (two miles) southeast of the village are ruins supposed to mark the site of Canopus. A little farther east the Canopic branch of the Nile
(now dry) entered the Mediterranean.
Stretching eastward as far as the Rosetta
mouth of the Nile is the spacious Abu Qir Bay
(Khalīj Abū Qīr), where on 1 August 1798, Horatio Nelson fought the Battle of the Nile
, often referred to as the "Battle of Aboukir Bay". The latter title is applied more properly to an engagement between the French expeditionary army and the Turks fought on 25 July the following year; see Battle of Abukir of 1799
. Near Abū Qīr, on 8 March 1801, units of the British army commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby landed from their transports in the face of a strenuous opposition from a French force entrenched on the beach. Abercromby died of wounds received in the battle.
Near its shore Nelson's Island
is present where the remains of British officers, sailors, marines, women, and children were uncovered.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, 23 kilometres (14.3 mi) northeast of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
by rail, containing a castle used as a state prison by Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha was a commander in the Ottoman army, who became Wāli, and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan...
.
The name Abū Qīr is pronounced æboˈʔiːɾ in the Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic
Egyptian Arabic is the language spoken by contemporary Egyptians.It is more commonly known locally as the Egyptian colloquial language or Egyptian dialect ....
(with a glottal stop
Glottal stop
The glottal stop, or more fully, the voiceless glottal plosive, is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. In English, the feature is represented, for example, by the hyphen in uh-oh! and by the apostrophe or [[ʻokina]] in Hawaii among those using a preservative pronunciation of...
in place of the qaf). The name is taken from the name of an Egyptian
Egyptians
Egyptians are nation an ethnic group made up of Mediterranean North Africans, the indigenous people of Egypt.Egyptian identity is closely tied to geography. The population of Egypt is concentrated in the lower Nile Valley, the small strip of cultivable land stretching from the First Cataract to...
Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
, named Cyrus
Cyrus and John
Saints Cyrus and John are venerated as martyrs. They are especially venerated by the Coptic Church and surnamed Wonderworking Unmercenaries because they healed the sick free of charge....
.
Near the village are many remains of ancient buildings, Egyptian, Greek and Roman. About three kilometers (two miles) southeast of the village are ruins supposed to mark the site of Canopus. A little farther east the Canopic branch of the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
(now dry) entered the Mediterranean.
Stretching eastward as far as the Rosetta
Rosetta
Rosetta is a port city on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt. It is located east of Alexandria, in Beheira governorate. It was founded around AD 800....
mouth of the Nile is the spacious Abu Qir Bay
Abu Qir Bay
The Abū Qīr Bay is a spacious bay on the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, lying between Abu Qir and the Rosetta mouth of the Nile. It contains a natural gas field, discovered in the 1970s.On August 1, 1798, Horatio Nelson fought the Battle of the Nile, often referred to as the "Battle of Aboukir Bay"...
(Khalīj Abū Qīr), where on 1 August 1798, Horatio Nelson fought the Battle of the Nile
Battle of the Nile
The Battle of the Nile was a major naval battle fought between British and French fleets at Aboukir Bay on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt from 1–3 August 1798...
, often referred to as the "Battle of Aboukir Bay". The latter title is applied more properly to an engagement between the French expeditionary army and the Turks fought on 25 July the following year; see Battle of Abukir of 1799
Battle of Abukir (1799)
The Battle of Abukir was Napoleon Bonaparte's decisive victory over Seid Mustafa Pasha's Ottoman army on 25 July 1799 during the French invasion of Egypt...
. Near Abū Qīr, on 8 March 1801, units of the British army commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby landed from their transports in the face of a strenuous opposition from a French force entrenched on the beach. Abercromby died of wounds received in the battle.
Near its shore Nelson's Island
Nelson's Island
Nelson's Island is an island located in Abū Qīr Bay, off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. It is a local site for picnics and recreation, and is the location of a group of British graves dating from the Napoleonic Wars. It was named after Horatio Nelson the famous British Admiral.In 2000, Italian...
is present where the remains of British officers, sailors, marines, women, and children were uncovered.
See also
- Abu Qir BayAbu Qir BayThe Abū Qīr Bay is a spacious bay on the Mediterranean Sea in Egypt, lying between Abu Qir and the Rosetta mouth of the Nile. It contains a natural gas field, discovered in the 1970s.On August 1, 1798, Horatio Nelson fought the Battle of the Nile, often referred to as the "Battle of Aboukir Bay"...
- AlexandriaAlexandriaAlexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
- Cyrus and JohnCyrus and JohnSaints Cyrus and John are venerated as martyrs. They are especially venerated by the Coptic Church and surnamed Wonderworking Unmercenaries because they healed the sick free of charge....
- Nelson's IslandNelson's IslandNelson's Island is an island located in Abū Qīr Bay, off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt. It is a local site for picnics and recreation, and is the location of a group of British graves dating from the Napoleonic Wars. It was named after Horatio Nelson the famous British Admiral.In 2000, Italian...
- HMS AboukirHMS AboukirFour ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Aboukir, after Abu Qir Bay, the site of the Battle of the Nile:*HMS Aboukir was a 74-gun third-rate ship of the line, formerly the French ship Aquilon. She was captured by the British at the Battle of the Nile in 1798 and broken up in 1802...