Ismailia

For the branch of Shia Islam, see Ismailism. For the foraminiferan genus, see Ismailia (genus).
Ismailia
الإسماعيلية

Administrative building

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Nickname(s): The City of Beauty and Enchantment
Ismailia

Location in Egypt

Coordinates: 30°35′N 32°16′E / 30.583°N 32.267°E / 30.583; 32.267
Country  Egypt
Governorate Ismailia
Area
 • Total 210 km2 (80 sq mi)
Elevation 13 m (43 ft)
Population (2012)
 • Total 366,669
 • Density 1,700/km2 (4,500/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Ismailiata
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
Area code(s) (+20) 69 or (+20) 64

Ismailia (Arabic: الإسماعيلية‎‎ al-Ismāʻīlīyah  Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [lesmæʕiˈlejjæ]) is a city in north-eastern Egypt. Known in Egypt as "The City of Beauty and Enchantment", Ismailia is situated on the west bank of the Suez Canal, it is the capital of the Ismailia Governorate. The city has a population (including surrounding rural areas) of approximately 750,000 inhabitants. It is located approximately halfway 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.

History

Ismalaïlia, ca. 1870

Ismailia was founded in 1863, during the construction of the Suez Canal, by Khedive Ismail the Magnificent, after whom the city is named. Following the Battle of Kafr-el-Dawwar in 1882 the British established a base there.

The head office of the Suez Canal Authority is located in Ismailia at the shore of Lake Timsah. It still has a large number of buildings dating from British and French involvement with the Canal. Most of these buildings are still used by Canal employees and officials.

During World War I the British had an air base there and the Battle of Romani took place nearby.

In 1973 the Battle of Ismailia took place in the city.

Government and politics

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Ismailia by Hassan al-Banna in March 1928. An underground paramilitary wing was established in the 1940s, primarily to fight British occupation forces. In the early 1950s, Ismailia hosted the British Military HQ and the Civilian Administration Centre of the Canal Zone. British suppression of an uprising by rebellious Egyptian police there on 25 January 1952 was a key event leading to the overthrow of King Farouk I later that year and the Egyptian Revolution that followed. British forces pulled out of Ismailia in 1954.

Coptic Catholic Eparchy

On 1982.12.17 an Eparchy (Eastern Catholic Diocese) of Ismayliah was established on territory split off from the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria (Alexandrian Rite in Coptic language), which remains its Metropolitan. Its episcopal see is St. Mark's cathedral.

Suffragan Eparchs (Bishops of Ismayliah

Education

Schools

Ismailia has several public and private schools. They face educational problems schools all around Egypt face. Private tutoring is widely accessible and is almost an unofficial requirement for all students. Two international schools, Manar Language School and Educational Language Complex School (E.L.C) offer American Diploma and I.G.C.S. teaching systems.

Universities

Ismailia is the home of Suez Canal University, established in 1976 to serve the region of Suez Canal and Sinai. Suez Canal University now is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in Egypt with many students studying abroad. The new university of Suez Canal University was established with the help of the Chinese Government.

Culture and recreation

Arts and festivals

Virgin Mary Church known as "Guardian of the Canal", is one of many examples of French architecture in Ismailia

Ismailia hosts two important festivals each year. The first is the International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts that is held in June.[1] In June 2014 the 17th consecutive festival was organized. The second is the Ismailia International Folklore Arts Festival that is held in September. In this festival folkloric troupes from all around the globe meet in Ismailia, where they perform folkloric dances representing the culture of their countries.[2]

Archaeological Museum

A major attraction is the Ismailia Museum which was built in 1932. Visitors will find a variety of significant archaeological finds especially from sites in the Ismailia governorate such as Tell el-Maskhuta, from North Sinai, and from Upper Egypt.

Tourism

Ismailia 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 Ismailia 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

Club logo

Ismailia owns the 3rd most successful club in Egypt in the field of Football, Ismaily SC. 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).

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies its climate as hot desert (BWh).

The hottest recorded temperature was 47 °C (117 °F) on June 14, 1944 while the coldest recorded temperature was −2 °C (28 °F) on February 9, 1991.[3]

Climate data for Ismailia
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 30
(86)		 36
(97)		 40
(104)		 44
(111)		 44
(111)		 47
(117)		 45
(113)		 41
(106)		 44
(111)		 40
(104)		 37
(99)		 32
(90)		 47
(117)
Average high °C (°F) 19.2
(66.6)		 20.9
(69.6)		 23.3
(73.9)		 28.6
(83.5)		 31.8
(89.2)		 34.8
(94.6)		 35.7
(96.3)		 35.3
(95.5)		 33.1
(91.6)		 30
(86)		 25.4
(77.7)		 20.9
(69.6)		 28.2
(82.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) 14.8
(58.6)		 16.1
(61)		 18.3
(64.9)		 22.9
(73.2)		 25.7
(78.3)		 28
(82)		 29.8
(85.6)		 29.6
(85.3)		 27.8
(82)		 24.8
(76.6)		 20.3
(68.5)		 15.9
(60.6)		 22.8
(73)
Average low °C (°F) 7.6
(45.7)		 8.3
(46.9)		 10.3
(50.5)		 14.1
(57.4)		 16.4
(61.5)		 19.5
(67.1)		 21.3
(70.3)		 21.5
(70.7)		 19.7
(67.5)		 16.6
(61.9)		 12.7
(54.9)		 8.9
(48)		 14.7
(58.5)
Record low °C (°F) 1
(34)		 −2
(28)		 2
(36)		 7
(45)		 3
(37)		 10
(50)		 13
(55)		 14
(57)		 12
(54)		 9
(48)		 4
(39)		 2
(36)		 −2
(28)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 7
(0.28)		 6
(0.24)		 7
(0.28)		 2
(0.08)		 2
(0.08)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 2
(0.08)		 6
(0.24)		 5
(0.2)		 37
(1.46)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 1.1 0.5 0.7 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.5 3.5
Average relative humidity (%) 57 54 49 43 42 46 48 51 54 55 58 60 51.4
Source #1: NOAA,[4] Climate Charts[5]
Source #2: Voodoo Skies for record temperatures[3]
Ismailia's railway station

Notable natives

References

  1. ↑ Ismailia Film Festival http://www.ismailiafilmfest.com/. Retrieved 4 August 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ↑ Egypt State Information Service http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Templates/Articles/tmpArticles.aspx?CatID=1078#.U9_y6Xt5ElQ. Retrieved 4 August 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. 1 2 "Ismailia, Egypt". Voodoo Skies. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  4. ↑ "Dabaa Climate Normals 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Ismailia, Egypt: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data". Climate Charts. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
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Coordinates: 30°35′N 32°16′E / 30.583°N 32.267°E / 30.583; 32.267

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