Ismaïlia

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Ismaïlia (Arabic: الإسماعيلية) is the capital of the governorate of Al Isma'iliyah, and one of the newest cities in Egypt. It has a population (including surrounding rural areas) of approximately 750,000 persons. It is located on the west bank of the Suez Canal, approximately half way 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. It is an administration center for the Suez Canal and still has a large number of Colonial housing dating from British and French involvement with the Canal. Most of these buildings are still used by Canal employees and officials.

Ismaïlia does get tourists from within Egypt, but is not a major tourism destination for international tourists. The city is approximately a ninety minute automobile drive from Cairo. From Ismaïlia it is approximately a four hour drive to Sharm el Sheikh in South Sinai. Driving to the Israeli border crossing at Taba and the Palestinian-Gaza crossing at Rafah are both approximately four hour drives.

Ismaïlia's Sporting Club's soccer team (Al-Isma'ily) enjoys broad support from within the city and governorate, with fan bases extending to other Egyptian and Arab cities. The club's performance is considered a major political issue, and can tend to dictate the city's mood. The team enjoys brief stints of competition for local and international competition, but its financial situation prevents these stints from extending beyond a few years. The team has won the Egyptian League three times (1967, 1991, 2002), the Egyptian Cup twice (1997, 2000), and the African Champions League once (1969).

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