Cities of the Canal Region

Ismailia
The city of Ismailia is around 120 kms away from Cairo. It lies along the west bank of the Suez Canal and Timsah Lake. It is the prettiest of the cities lining the Canal, as it has large areas of greenery and parks. It is also the most active in terms of tourism, where many festivals are held there, such as



Tal Al-Ratabi:


The most ancient place in Al-Tal Al-Kabeer was built by Ramses II as a fort. Many items were discovered there, including a huge fence, a temple and tombs dating back to the Middle Age.


The Pharaonic Village:


This place is considered one of the important discoveries in Habwa Hill. The village dates back to the Modern State (King Citi I). Its castle (Hyksos Castle) is built from limestone and includes high walls, 9 meters thick and towers.


East Qantara Town:


It is known for several ancient places existing on Al Biloz (one of the Nile branches). South of Qantara in Tel Abu Seifi, is a Ptolemaic castle from the 26th dynasty, a Roman Castle, with its 116 half circle towers that goes back to the Third Century B.C.


Tal Hassan Dawod


Around 4 kms from Ismailia, it is one of the places dating back to the prehistoric age. There, it was discovered 350 tombs dating back to before the Dynasties ages.



the International Festival for Folkloric Dances, the Spring Festival and the International Festival For Documentary and Short Films held every year during the month of October, as well as the
International Peace Marathon. What to See


Ancient sites to visit:
Tal Al Maskhota: considered one of the important sites, as it has the god Aton temple, made from Basalt and an Alabaster coffin from the Ptolemaic age.


Tal Al Sahabe and Al Azba:


Around 2 kms south of Abu Sier, where visitors can find monuments from the Hyksos, Greek and Roman eras. 



Tours within the City The French Cathedral


One of the oldest cathedrals, built in 1930, this French Cathedral enjoys a basilisk style, mixed with a French-Italian design. It includes three buildings, a library and an activities center.


The Ismailia Museum


This is a small museum, but has over 4,000 artifacts from Pharoanic through the Greek and Roman eras. It includes information on the first canal built by the Persian Darius between the Bitter lakes and Bubastis and a masterpiece mosaic of the 4th century illustrating classic characters from Greek mythology. Other items include statues, scarabs, stelae and such, retrieved from the sites mentioned above.


De Lesseps House


Ferdinand de Lesseps, the French director of the construction of the Suez Canal, in 1854, has built a beautiful house in Ismailia with a wonderful garden that can be visited. The house contains his personal effects, architectural drawings and maps, and an original tapestry piece with the letters S.C. for Suez Canal, an original sample of an invitation to the kings and heads of state to attend the inauguration of the canal on November 17th, 1869, as well as the original carriage that De Lesseps used in his transportation.
His living room has wallpaper that was used for the first time in Egypt and brought from France.


Mallaha Park


A magnificent park covering an area of 500 acres,planted with varieties of rare flowers, trees and palms that come from different parts of the world. Also Zone 6 with its fascinating nature on a high hill overlooking the Suez Canal, is worth a visit.


Lake Timsah
Also known as the “Crocodile Lake”, it is famous for its calm waters on which many beaches are located. It covers an area of 14 square kms. 



The Bitter Lakes


The lakes are truly impressive, where the governorate has encouraged tourism by establishing new tourist villages such as: Morgan, Mashrabeya, Canary, Bullman, Safa and many other beaches.


The Unknown Solider Monument
Located on top of Mariam Hill, 7 kms from Ismailia, it commemorates the Allied victims of World War I.
Commonwealth Cemetery The graveyard is spread over Fayed and Qantara Towns, and includes the martyrs of World War II. It attracts many visitors, including the families of the victims, on the anniversary of the war.



Mubarak Peace Bridge
This is one of the recent landmarks in Ismailia, as it is considered the highest bridge in the world and connects between two continents - Africa and Asia.