Port Said, Egypt: Map, Population, Economy, Tourist & Facts
It is a port city that lies in northeast Egypt. It extends about 30 km (19 mi) along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea on the west bank of the northern mouth of the Suez Canal. The city is the capital of the Port Said governorate, and it forms the majority of the governorate, where its seven districts comprise seven of the governorate’s eight regions. It had a population of 680,375 people at the beginning of 2023.
The city was established in 1859 during the building of the Suez Canal. There are numerous old houses with grand balconies on all floors. That gives the city a distinctive look. Port Said’s twin city is Port Fuad, which lies on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal. The two cities coexist, to the extent that there is hardly any town centre in Port Fuad. The cities are connected by free ferries running all through the day, and together they form a metropolitan area with over a million residents that extends both on the African and the Asian sides of the Suez Canal.
Port Said, Egypt
Due to its location in the coastal region, Port Said is an important city in Egypt for trade and business.
Port Said Name
The name of Port Said first appeared in 1855. An international committee composed of the UK, France, the Russian Empire, Austria, Spain and Piedmont chose the name. It is a compound name which composed of two parts: the French word port (marine harbour) and Said (the name of the ruler of Egypt at that time), who granted Ferdinand de Lesseps the concession to dig the Suez Canal. In Ancient Greece, the city was called (Pēloúsion).
An Overview of Its History
Port Said was founded by Sa’id of Egypt on Easter Monday, April 25, 1859, when Ferdinand de Lesseps gave the first symbolic swing for the beginning of construction. The first problem encountered was the difficulty for ships to drop anchor nearby. Luckily, a single rocky outcrop flush with the shoreline was discovered a few hundred meters away.
Equipped with a wooden wharf, it served as a mooring berth for the boats. Then, a wooden jetty was built to connect the departure island, as it quickly became known, to the beach. This rock could be considered the heart of the developing city, and it was on this highly symbolic site, forty years later, that a monument to de Lesseps was erected.
There were no local resources here. Everything Port Said needed had been imported: wood, stone, supplies, machinery, equipment, housing, food and even water. Giant water storage containers were erected to supply fresh water until the Sweet Water Canal could be completed. One of the main problems was the lack of stone. Early buildings were often imported in kit form and made great use of wood.
Port said Egypt
A newly developed technique was used to construct the jetties called conglomerate concrete or “Beton Coignet”, which was named after its inventor, François Coignet. Blocks of concrete were sunk into the sea to be the foundations of the jetties. Still more innovative was the use of the same concrete for the lighthouse of Port Said, the only original building still standing in Port Said. In 1859, the first 150 workers camped in tents around a wooden shed. A year later, the number of inhabitants had risen to 2000, with the European contingent housed in wooden bungalows imported from northern Europe. By 1869, when the canal opened, the permanent population had reached 10,000.
Port Said is significant in the Egyptian book of memory, historically too. The British had all 1882 passengers unloaded in this city from aboard ships to initiate the process of colonisation in Egypt by a recognisable power.
Thriving international port and city (1902–1945)
At the start of the twentieth century, two things happened to change Port Said: in 1902, Egyptian cotton from Mataria started to be exported via Port Said; and in 1904, a standard-gauge railway opened to Cairo. This led to attracting a large commercial community and raising its social status. In particular, a sizable Greek community grew up. In 1907, the quickly growing city had about 50,000 inhabitants, and 11,000 Europeans were among them “of all nations”.
During the First World War, Port Said became home to an important Allied hospital. Due to the strategic location of Port Said, intersecting Europe, Africa and Asia, thousands of men were sent to this hospital. This included soldiers wounded as a result of the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. After the end of World War I, the directors of the Suez Canal Company decided to create a new city on the Asian bank, building 300 houses for its labourers and functionaries.
Founding of Port Fouad
Port Foad, Egypt
The École des Beaux-Arts in Paris designed Port Fouad. The houses follow the French model. The new city was founded in December 1926. Since its foundation, people of all nationalities and religions have been moving to the city, and each community brought in its own customs, cuisine, religion and architecture. By the late 1920s, the population numbered over 100,000 people. In the 1930s, for example, there were elegant public buildings designed by Italian architects. The old Arab Quarter was swallowed up by the thriving city.
Port Said Development at that time
It by now was a thriving, bustling international port with a multi-national population: Jewish merchants, Egyptian shopkeepers, Greek photographers, Italian architects, Swiss hoteliers, Maltese administrators, Scottish engineers, French bankers and diplomats from all around the world. All lived and worked alongside the large local Egyptian community. And international travellers to and from Africa, India and the Far East were always passing through it. Intermarriage between French, Italian and Maltese was particularly common, and this led to a local Latin and Catholic community like those of Alexandria and Cairo.
The common language
French was the common language of the European and non-Arab population, and often the first language of children born to parents from different communities. Italian was also widely spoken and was the mother tongue of part of the Maltese community, since the ancestors of the latter had come to Egypt before the Anglicisation of Malta in the 1920s. Multilingualism was a characteristic of the foreign population of Port Said because most people continued to speak community languages as well as the common French.
What is the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty?
In 1936, a treaty was signed between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Egypt called the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936. It bound British forces to leave the Egyptian territory, but for the Suez Canal and the contiguous areas, which needed to be protected.
Revolution, the end of British occupation (1946–present)
After World War II, the Egyptians abrogated the Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936, thus causing disturbances between British troops guarding the Suez Canal in 1951. Following this, there was the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, after which, on 26 July 1956, President Gamal Abdel Nasser declared the nationalisation of the Suez Canal Company.
The nationalisation led to tensions with Britain and France, who colluded with Israel to invade Egypt, the invasion known in Egypt as the tripartite aggression or the Suez Crisis. On 6 November 1956, British troops violently landed in Port Said while firing on the Egyptian military. Port Said was next bombed by the British to terrorise the civilians, and then hundreds of them died. There was also heavy fighting in the streets with many civilian casualties, and the resulting fires destroyed much of the city.
Suez Canal, Port Said
The withdrawal of the last soldier of foreign troops was on 23 December 1956. Since then, this day has been chosen as Port Said’s national day. It is widely celebrated annually in Port Said. The French-speaking European community had begun to emigrate to Europe, Australia, South Africa and elsewhere in 1946. Most of the Greek community was also expelled or left the town under the rule of Gamal Abdel Nasser.
Port Said Economy
The city has been ranked second among Egyptian cities according to the Human Development Index in 2009 and 2010; the economic base of the city is fishing and industries, like chemicals, ultra-processed food, and cigarettes. It is also an important harbour for exports of Egyptian products like cotton and rice, and additionally a fueling station for ships that pass through the Suez Canal. It thrives due to a duty-free port, as well as a tourist resort, especially during the summer. It is home to the Lighthouse of Port Said, which is the first building in the world built from reinforced concrete.
Due to its excellent geographic location, Port Said is designed to attract logistics start-ups along with import and export businesses.
Suez Canal, Egypt
A New Suez Canal was completed in 2019, led by Mr Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, the President of Egypt.
Port Said Climate
Port Said has a hot desert climate according to the Köppen climate classification, but blowing winds from the Mediterranean Sea greatly moderate the temperatures. This is typical of the northern coast of Egypt, making its summers moderately hot and humid, while its winters are mild and moderately wet, when sleet and hail are also common, yet less common than in Alexandria because Port Said is drier. January and February are the coolest months, while the hottest are July and August.
The highest record temperature was 44 °C (111 °F), recorded on June 20, 1988, while the lowest record temperature was 0 °C (32 °F), recorded on December 25, 1979. Port Said, Kosseir, Ras El Bar, Baltim, Damietta and Alexandria have the least temperature variation in Egypt. Additionally, Mersa Matruh and Port Said have the coolest summer days of any other cities or resorts, although not significantly cooler than other northern coastal places.
Education in Port Said
1- Colleges and universities
Port Said has a number of higher education institutions. Port Said University is a public university that follows the Egyptian system of higher education. The most notable faculties of the university are the faculty of engineering and the faculty of science. In addition, the Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport is a semi-private educational institution that offers courses for high school, undergraduate level students, and postgraduate students.
Egypt Architect- Sadat Academy
Sadat Academy for Management Sciences is an Egyptian Public Academy under the authorisation of the Ministry of Higher Education.
2- Schools
It contains about 349 schools in all different educational stages, including governmental, experimental, private language schools, besides French historical schools.
Transport in Port Said
1- Port
The port of Port Said is the 28th-busiest seaport for container transport, the second-busiest in the Arab world (narrowly behind the port of Salalah in Oman), and the busiest container seaport in Egypt, with 3,470,000 TEU transported in 2009. The port is part of the Maritime Silk Road. It is divided into:
- Port Said Por
- East Port Said Port
- Navigation channels
- Main channel
- East verge channel
- Approach area
- Dwelling area: The Suez Canal Dwelling Area vessels awaiting to accede to Port Said port stay, whether to join the North convoy to transit the Suez Canal to carry out stevedoring operations or to be supplied with provisions and bunkers. The dwelling area is divided into two sections: The Northern Area is allocated for vessels with deep drafts. The Southern Area is for all vessel types.
2-Airports
Port Said is served by Port Said Airport, located about 6 km (3.7 mi) away from the city centre.
The airport was reopened in February 2011 after being modernised to be fit for international flights. Scheduled flights from the airport ceased in 1996.
3-Motor highways
Three main highways connect Port Said to other cities in Egypt:
International Coastal Road
- International Coastal Road – a 257 km (160 mi) east–west highway that connects Port Said to Alexandria along the Mediterranean coast.
- Desert Road – a 215 km (134 mi) north–south route via Al Ismaileya – Port Saeed and Masr – Al Ismaileya Desert Road from Port Said to Cairo.
- International Coastal Road – a 53 km (33 mi) east–west highway from Port Said – Damietta.
4- Train
The Port Said railway station is on Mustafa Kamal Street and was built around 1893 when the Egyptian Railway Authority extended service in the region.
There are frequent train services from Cairo, Alexandria and other main Egyptian cities to Port Said. The travel time between Cairo and Port Said is about four hours, while the Alexandria – Port Said route can be covered in about six hours. Intercity passenger service is operated by Egyptian National Railways. Tickets can be reserved online using the Egyptian National Railways website.
5- Ferry
This city is linked by ferry to its twin city, Port Fouad, which is considered the Asian part of this Afro-Asian governorate. Port Said is on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal, and the ferry is used to cross the canal between the two cities, holding both people and cars as well (for free). The time between the two cities across the canal by using the ferry does not exceed 10 minutes.
Private Transport is also available, referred to as Micro Buses (14-seat minibus). White and blue saloon car taxicabs are comfortable, and ask reasonable prices. Earlier trolleybuses existed in the city.
Port Said Culture
Places to visit in Port Said
- The Port Said Library, at the time of its inauguration, reached about 14,000 books and was supplied with encyclopedias and modern references.
- It has about 11 theatres.
- Port Said Opera House was inaugurated on 28 December 2016; here, Arabic music, classical music, opera and ballet are performed.
Opera House
- Port Said National Museum is located on Palestine Street in front of the tourist jetty, near the centre of the city. It contains about 9,000 artefacts that narrate the story of Port Said and Egypt.
- The Port Said Military Museum was inaugurated in 1964. It is located on 23 July Street. It narrates the story of the Egyptian resistance in Port Said for the tripartite aggression during the Suez Crisis in 1956, and the wars of 1967 and 1973. It also contains a hall that narrates the genesis of the city and the Suez Canal.
- The Museum of the Authority of the Suez Canal was inaugurated in August 2015. It narrates the story of the Suez Canal since its establishment.
- Port Said has 23 parks, which include the Ferial Park (21,904 square meters), the Farma Park (12,469 square meters), the Khazanat Park (2,000 square meters), and the Aldawlia Park.
- Al Masry Club Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Port Said. Built in 1954.
- Port Said Hall is an indoor hall located in the Sports City in Port Said. It hosts competitions of handball, basketball, and volleyball, and was used for the 1999 World Men’s Handball Championship. It holds 5000 people.
Port Said Tourism
The city is a main summer resort and tourist attraction, due to its public and private beaches, cosmopolitan heritage, museums, and duty-free port, besides the other landmarks like Port Said Lighthouse, Port Said Martyrs Memorial, which has the shape of the Pharaonic ancient obelisks, and the building of the Suez Canal Authority headquarters in it. Also, Tennis Island, situated in Lake Manzaleh, is a destination that attracts tourists to visit this ancient Islamic city, which was demolished during the crusades.
Port Said Lighthouse
Ashtoum el-Gamil is a protectorate which is located 7 km west of Port Said on the Port Said-Damietta coastal road. It is also where Lake Manzalah connects with the Mediterranean Sea. (In front of the mouth of the Lake is Tanees Island. The entire area is a very important place for birds.) Its area is 180 km² and was established in 1988. Its main objective is to conserve the migratory birds. It is managed by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency.
Nearby to the El Gameel area, there will be a real estate mixed-use project named Downtown Port Said. The project will cater to both residents and tourists as well as investors in the area, and is anticipated to be an attraction hotspot.
Conclusion
It is not only a simple city; it embodies the glorious expression of Egypt’s globalisation. It spoils one for choice, balancing adventurous historical sites and cultural events alongside more serene, natural getaways. This city has a lot on offer to make anyone happy. Its wonderful parks, museums, and libraries are amongst the most important attractions in Egypt. In addition, more interesting places are worth exploring there.
Port Said is the northernmost city of the Suez Canal, so it is interesting as a port and as a city with a historical past. It was built in 1859 while the Suez Canal was being built. Port Said has ever since been an important station in the contemporary history of Egypt, which is located between the Mediterranean and the Red Seas. The visit to Port Said offers its guests a wide range of interrelated aspects, rich culture, marine transport, and even geography, which stimulate tourists who want to rest as well as learn about the history of the development of Egypt in social and economic terms.
