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Certain quarters in the centre has European style
19th century architecture, coming with full wooden
balconies and high verandas. The ambience, out of sights near Port Said, the northern end of
the Suez Canal is a place where many visitors can
find hours of entertainment, simply by watching
ships pass in and out. Port Said even got a couple
of museums , the National Museum and the Military
Museum.
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Port Said
 Port
Said is the fourth largest city in Egypt and and
is the second most important port after
Alexandria. It is located on the Mediterranean
Sea, to the north of the Suez Canal.
Port Said was built in 1859 as part of the Suez
Canal project, a shortcut for vessels coming from
the Atlantic ocean to the Mediterranean sea, and
also linking it to the Red sea and the Indian
Ocean. Named after the Khedive Mohamed Said who
reigned Egypt from 1854 to 1863, the city was
built on the European 19th Century architecture
style with high verandas and wooden balconies.
Port Said was caught in the middle of the
Arab-Israeli war, especially between 1956 and
1967. The city was evacuated until the the October
1973 war, when Egypt regained most of it's
occupied land from Israel. It was now safe for the
citizens of Port Said to go back home and rebuild
their city after the peace accord was signed
between Egypt and Israel in 1979. Ever since, it
has developed into a major trade and business
city.
The economy of the city depends mainly on fishing
and industries like chemicals, processed food and
cigarettes. Its port is vital for the Egyptian
economy from here Egyptian products including
cotton and rice are exported. Moreover, Port Said
is also a fuelling station for ships that pass
through the Suez Canal.
Interesting ways to enjoy Port Said are either to
take a cruise on the canal or to take a tour
around the city on a "Hantour" (a horse-drawn
carriage).
Port Fouad, located across the canal from Port
Said is a suburb of civil servants, also worth
visiting.
Shopping is another option in this tax free city.
There are many places to stay during your visit to
the city. Hotels are found around the canal area
and their prices vary; moreover, some villas can
also be rented. There are also many restaurants in
Port Said.
Across the Canal from Port Said is Port Fuad,
which is really only a bedroom community to Port
Said. However, if time permits is is a very
pleasant place to take a stroll among the gardens
and sprawling residences located there.
The Statue of Liberty
Originally, American's very own statue of Liberty
was to be placed not in New York but at Port Said.
The Statue of Liberty was really inspired by the
huge statues at Abu Simbel. Auguste Bartholdi, the
sculptor of the statue designed the American Lady
of Liberty as 'Egypt carrying the light of Asia'.
However, the Khedive Ismail decided that the
project was too expensive, so the 'Light of Asia'
was sent to the US instead, where she became the
Statue of Liberty. |
