Ismaïlia

Government

Isma ʿ ilia (Arabic الإسماعيلية, DMG al - ʿ Ismā Iliya, also Ismaïlia ) is a city in Egypt. It is located at Timsahsee, one of the Bitter Lakes upstream salt lake, the Suez Canal, midway between Port Said to the north and Suez to the south, about 120 km west of Cairo. It was founded in 1863 by Ferdinand de Lesseps with the city name Timsah, but quickly named after the Egyptian Khedive ( Viceroy ) Ismail Pasha.

Ismaïlia part of the Governorate Al- Isma ʿ iliyya, whose capital it is. The city has 284 813 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2005), in Greater Ismaïlia live about 750,000 inhabitants.

Ismaïlia is connected to Cairo via a 128 -kilometer-long, once continuously navigable freshwater canal leading, the so-called Ismaïlia Canal.

In Ismaïlia itself is the seat of the Suez Canal Authority, which takes over the management of the channel and vessel traffic controls; since 1976 houses the Ismailia Suez Canal University.

Near the town is the El- Feridan Bridge, the longest swing bridge in the world.

Located in the city of Ismailia Stadium is used by the football club Ismaily SC and for major events such as the Africa Cup of 2006.

From August 1974 to July 1979 was the city headquarters of the United Nations Emergency Force ( UNEF II). 2008, around 10 military observers from the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization ( UNTSO ) stationed in the city.

Ismaïlia in today's and yesteryear finds detailed mention in Mark Werner's novel " The Egyptian Heinrich" of 1999, in which the Swiss author, the life story of his great- great-grandfather Henry Bluntschli and its role as Director of the Post in Ismaïlia in the 60s of the 19th century traces.

Personalities

Sons and daughters of the town

• Hosni Abd- Rabou ( born 1984 ), Egyptian footballer