Port Said

STANDING at the northern gate of the Suez Canal, Port Said is the second most important Egyptian port after Alexandria. Situated on a narrow peninsula between Lake Manzala and the Mediterranean, Port Said was founded in 1859, five years after the Suez Canal project was negotiated. It was named after Said Pasha, then Khedive of Egypt.

Just two hours from Cairo, Port Said enjoys a Mediterranean climate throughout the year. Famous as a summer resort, the city is also idyllic in the winter, offering a year-round pedestrian and children-friendly retreat. Visitors can promenade along the Corniche, or near the National Museum, watching vessels arrive at their destination via the Suez Canal.

In 1976, Port Said was declared a duty-free zone, leading to its attraction as a shopping haven for Egyptians and foreign residents. Al-Toggar Street is the most famous shopping area in the city.

One of Port Said's most captivating elements is the fact that it is surrounded by water, with the Mediterranean to the north, Lake Manzala to the southwest, and the Suez Canal separating it from Port Fouad, Port Said's sister town on the eastern bank of the canal.

For those interested in architecture, Port Said offers rich 19th-century European style -- the five-storey belle époquebuildings with their wooden balconies and high verandas providing a whimsical entrée into another time.

The Military Museum -- on 23 July Street -- is one sightseeing option. Inaugurated in 1964, the museum has paintings and dioramas of the Egypt-Israel wars in 1956, 1967 and 1973. There are exhibits of Pharaonic warfare as well. On the same street lies the National Museum, which contains a collection of artefacts dating from prehistoric, Pharaonic, Coptic, and Islamic periods and covers the history of the digging of the Suez Canal.

In Al-Messallah Square, Al-Nasr Museum offers pictures of Egyptian heroism against the tripartite aggression of 1956. Also, there is a memorial of the Unknown Solider for the heroes and martyrs of Port Said.

There are a number of protected areas in Port Said such as Al-Gameel, a splendid beach near Manzallah Lake, 12km west of Port Said -- an ideal spot for fishing. Tanees Island is another protected area that lies in the middle of Manzallah Lake, 9km from Port Said, and can be reached by boats.

From Port Said, visitors can head to Port Fouad -- founded in 1927 as a suburb for Suez Canal Company bureaucrats. It lies on the eastern side of the canal and is distinct because of its expanses of green surfaces and wonderful beaches such as Al- Tafri'a and Al-Zayeem.

From Port Said visitors can travel to Cairo and Alexandria via the Super Jet and West Delta buses. There are also West Delta buses to Ismailia, Suez and Al-Arish in north Sinai.

Port Said facts

Historic Mediterranean port city with an entrance to the world famous Suez Canal.

Population: 400,000

Industries: Manufacturing of cruise ships and fueling of tankers and boats passing the Suez Canal. The textiles industry is also a moneymaker.

Sights: Military Museum, the National Museum, the Suez Canal Authority Building, the Tombs of Martyrs, and Al-Messallah Square. There are also several fine beaches and protected areas.

Hotels: Helnan Port Said (+2066) 320-890; Sonesta Port Said (+2066) 325-511; Holiday (+2066) 220-711; New Concorde (+2066) 235-342; and Noras Beach Resort (+2066) 329-834.

Restaurants: Seafood restaurants are scattered generously around the city -- the most famous of which are Abu Essam and Al-Borg in Tarh Al-Bahr Street, and Al-Gendy in Port Fouad. Coffee shops include Al-Sohbageya at the Helnan Hotel and Rigina at the Noras Beach Hotel.

Stadium: Port Said Stadium, capacity 45,000, New Olympic City Zone, 10km (20 min) from Al-Gamil Airport, 5km (15 min) to Port Said town centre

Famous football teams: Al-Masri, Al-Marrikh