Ismailia

                                   Ismailia                                                                                                                                                                   

Ismailia is one of the Suez Canal cities and the capital of Ismailia Governorate. The city and its suburbs have a population of approximately 455,740. It is located approximately halfway between Port Said to the north and Suez to the south. At this point, the canal widens to include Lake Timsah, one of the Bitter Lakes connected by the canal. The city was built on the northwest bank of Lake Timsah—which is part of the Suez Canal corridor—approximately halfway between Port Said to the north and Suez to the south. It was built as a headquarters for the Suez Canal International Navigation Company during the reign of Khedive Ismail. The city has developed in recent years due to a population increase. The Gamal Abdel Nasser Tunnel was built in the city center, and the Future City was built to accommodate the population increase. It is located on the Cairo-Ismailia desert road. The governorate has also begun renovating and constructing new bridges over the Ismailia Canal. The city is known for its many gardens and natural parks, and its clean air, due to the lack of industrial facilities compared to neighboring governorates, attracting visitors, especially in the spring and during holidays. Huge tunnels were also built linking the city to the Sinai Peninsula, similar to the Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel in Suez.

                                                                                                                                                 The city dates back to the pre-dynastic era, when it was the eighth district in the Lower Egypt region, and its capital was (Pratum) in the Tell El-Maskhouta area in the current city of Abu Suwayr. The prophets of God, Abraham, Joseph, Jacob, and Moses walked on its land, and it was honored by the journey of the Holy Family. Then Islam entered it with the Arab conqueror of Egypt at the hands of Amr ibn al-As. As for the emergence of Ismailia in the modern era, it was officially established during the reign of Saeed Pasha, where the foundation stone was laid on April 27, 1862, and it was called the city of the Crocodile because it was located at that time north of Lake Timsah. On March 4, 1863, a large celebration was held by the Suez Canal Company, where the name Ismailia was given to the city in reference to Khedive Ismail. In January 1960, Law No. 24 of 1960 was issued establishing the Ismailia Governorate. The city of Ismailia and its people played a prominent role in confronting the British occupation. Ismailia celebrates its national holiday on January 25 of each year, commemorating the steadfastness of the Egyptian police forces against the British forces in 1952.