Situated on the northern entrance to the Suez Canal on the Mediterranean coast, Port Said is a very young city by Egyptian standards. The city was founded in 1859 by ruler Said Pasha when the excavations began for the Suez Canal. Port Said was bombed in 1956 over the Suez Crisis, and again in the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel, and the damage can still be seen here and there, although it was extensively rebuilt. It was built on land reclaimed from Lake Manzela and sits on an isthmus connected by causeways to the mainland. Ferries cross Lake Manzela to Al-Matariyya and across the canal to Port Fouad. The site of the huge ships that line up to enter the canal is something special. Unlike many of Egypt's other Mediterranean towns, Port Said does not get overrun with local tourists seeking sun and sea. Nor do many international travellers come to Port Said, but it is an unusual destination for Egypt with turn-of-the-century colonial architecture and several good museums and gardens.

DMC Companies

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• Capitol Services Inc.
• ITTA Tours
• Sakkara Tours
• Wings Group

Summary|Culture|History
Alexandria|Aswan|Cairo
Luxor|Port Said