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'Ismaïlia' (
Arabic: الإسماعيلية) is the capital of
Al Isma'iliyah Governorate. It has a population (including surrounding rural areas) of approximately 750,000. 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
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.
Education
Ismailia is the home of Suez Canal University, established in 1976 to serve region of Suez Canal and Sinai. Suez Canal university now is one of the fast growing educational institutes in Egypt with many students studying abroad.
Tourism
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
Taba Border Crossing at
Taba and the
Rafah Border Crossing at
Rafah are both approximately four hour drives.
Sports
Ismaïlia's Sporting Club's soccer team
Ismaily SC enjoys broad support from within the city and governorate, with fan bases extending to other Egyptian 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).
Military
Ismailia is the base for the Egyptian primary army named "the second field army".
External links
★
Ismaily soccer club official website
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