Ismailia
Egypt · Africa
About Ismailia
Ismailia is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city had an estimated population of 380,000 in 2024. It is located approximately halfway between Port Said to the north and Suez to the south. The Canal widens at that point to include Lake Timsah, one of the Bitter Lakes linked by the Canal.
Ismailia was founded in 1863, during the construction of the Suez Canal, by Khedive Ismail, after whom the city is named. Following the Battle of Kafr-el-Dawwar in 1882 the British established a base there.
The head office of the Suez Canal Authority is located in Ismailia at the shore of Lake Timsah. It has a large number of buildings dating from British and French involvement with the Canal. Most of these buildings are currently used by Canal employees and officials.
During World War I the British had an air base there and the Battle of Romani took place nearby. Ismailia War Cemetery was designed in 1919 by Sir Robert Lorimer marking the casualties of the battle.
In 1973, the Battle of Ismailia took place in the...
Ismailia travel guide
Understand
Situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, halfway between Port Said to the north and Port Suez to the south, this city is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate and has a population of 1.4 million as of 2022. Ismailia was founded in 1863, during the construction of the Suez Canal, by Khedive Ismail the Magnificent, after whom the city is named. The head office of the Suez Canal Authority and the city have a large number of heritage buildings dating from British and French involvement with the Canal. Also of historical note, the Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Ismailia by Hassan al-Banna in March 1928.
Getting there
1 Ismailia railway station. (updated Jul 2022)
See
1 Archaeological Museum of Ismailia (متحف الإسماعيلية القومي). (updated Jul 2022) 2 Museum of the Suez Canal (المعرض التاريخي لهيئة قناة السويس). (updated Jul 2022)
Sleep
1 Mercure Ismailia Forsan Island Hotel (فندق ميركيور جزيرة الفرسان الإسماعيلية). Beachfront hotel. (updated Jul 2022)
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.