Moascar, Egypt; Picture of the Week 9 February 2013

I felt I should return to posting photos of things building related, so this is another of my father's photographs. It was taken in the early 1950's, when he was posted to Egypt.

This beautiful little mosque was near the British Army camp of Moascar, near the Suez canal.

The children at the front all probably wanted their pictures taken, and some baksheesh, naturally.

The British Army were in Egypt because of the strategic importance of the Suez Canal, which was 'owned' by Britain and France (the canal was designed by French engineers). Egypt had been declared a British Protectorate in 1914.

1952 Suez - new recruits arrive from the Seychelles, which was a British colony until 1976 

It all ended for Britain in 1956 when the new Egyptian leader Gamal Abdul Nasser nationalised the canal. There was a brief war which involved Britain, France and Israel against Egypt, causing a huge international scandal. This resulted in the withdrawal of all foreign troops, Egypt was independant for the first time since 1882.