Suez Attractions
The provincial capital of Suez, which was badly damaged and for a time almost completely evacuated during the war with Israel in 1967, is beautifully situated at the south end of the Suez Canal, which here projects into the shallow northern waters of the Gulf of Suez, and of the southern branch of the Ismailia Canal coming from Ismailia. Reconstruction is still continuing on a considerable scale, with financial assistance from Saudi Arabia.
The town, founded in the 15th C. on the site of ancient Clysma, was a modest little township, a staging point for pilgrims traveling to Mecca, until the construction of the Suez Canal, which gave it great importance as a transit port in the trade with East Asia and in passenger traffic, particularly to and from Mecca. It is now mainly an industrial city, with oil refineries, petrochemical and iron working industries and factories producing artificial fertilizers. It has no particular features of interest for the tourist. It is planned to rebuild the Museum of Antiquities, which was destroyed during the Six Day War; it contained material from the area around the Suez Canal.
Southeast of the old town are the more modern quarters, built on land reclaimed from the sea. To the southwest lies the industrial zone. To the north of the city is the Kom el-Kolzum, a mound of rubble which probably marks the site of the Graeco-Roman town of Clysma and a still earlier settlement.
Farther north the Ismailia Canal flows into the Gulf of Suez. Its water level is 6ft/2m higher than that of the Red Sea, the difference in level being accommodated by a lock. On either side of the canal are luxuriant gardens.
The town, founded in the 15th C. on the site of ancient Clysma, was a modest little township, a staging point for pilgrims traveling to Mecca, until the construction of the Suez Canal, which gave it great importance as a transit port in the trade with East Asia and in passenger traffic, particularly to and from Mecca. It is now mainly an industrial city, with oil refineries, petrochemical and iron working industries and factories producing artificial fertilizers. It has no particular features of interest for the tourist. It is planned to rebuild the Museum of Antiquities, which was destroyed during the Six Day War; it contained material from the area around the Suez Canal.
Southeast of the old town are the more modern quarters, built on land reclaimed from the sea. To the southwest lies the industrial zone. To the north of the city is the Kom el-Kolzum, a mound of rubble which probably marks the site of the Graeco-Roman town of Clysma and a still earlier settlement.
Farther north the Ismailia Canal flows into the Gulf of Suez. Its water level is 6ft/2m higher than that of the Red Sea, the difference in level being accommodated by a lock. On either side of the canal are luxuriant gardens.
Springs of Moses
Seven mi/11km southeast of Suez, on the east side of the gulf, are the Springs of Moses (Ain Musa), a group of hot springs (70-84 °F/21-29 °C), some sweet and some bitter, which form a small fertile oasis. One of the springs is said to be the bitter spring of Marah which Moses made sweet by casting a tree into it (Exodus 15: 23 ff.). From this side of the gulf there are fine views of the sea and the heights of the Gebel Ataqa Range to the west.
Adabiya Bay, Egypt
(Near Suez)
Some 12.5mi/20km southwest of Suez, bounded on the south by the Ras el-Adabiya, is Adabiya Bay, where new port installations are under construction. Half way there is the beach of Cabanon.
Port Taufiq
Since the Gulf of Suez ends in a shoal at its northern end which is dry at low tide a channel 2mi/3km long was cut to bring the entrance to the Suez Canal to the edge of deeper water. A stone causeway 50ft/15m wide connects the town with the island of Port Taufiq, created by the accumulation of the great masses of soil dredged out of the sea. On the southwest side of the islands are the port installations of Port Ibrahim.
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