Ismailia was founded in 1860 by Pasha Ismail who was the Khedive of Egypt at that time. He named the town after himself.

Situated halfway between Port Said and Suez on the west shore of Lake Timsah (Crocodile Lake), Ismailia is the largest and most attractive of the three main Canal Zone cities. Ismailia; like Port Said, is a pleasant and relaxed place where the tired traveler can relax in peaceful natural surroundings and get a real taste of Egypt, away from the crowds of tourists.

The railroad running along Sultan Hussein St. divides Ismailia, and clearly reflects the town’s dual personality.

South of the tracks you will find a pleasant European-style garden city, built for the foreign employees of the Suez Canal Company; it follows the banks of the Sweet Water Canal which was dug to flow from Lake Timsah providing fresh water for the workers during the construction of the Suez Canal.

The old European Quarter situated around the promenade; also known as Salah Salem St., Mohammed Ali Quay or Thawra St., with its carefully restored tree line boulevards; quiet pleasant streets filled with beautiful colonial villas look pretty much as it must have looked in the 1930’s.

Ferdinand De Lesseps, French Consul to Egypt and Director of the Suez Canal Company, lived here until the Canal was completed. His house, turned into a museum, is kept as if De Lesseps still was around and only stopped out for a walk, his carriage; closed in glass, can be seen on the grounds. The house, used to be open to the public, nowadays its serves as a private guest house for important visitors to the Suez Canal.

Ismailia may be a picturesque, tranquil and romantic colonial town but it is a town of many touristy interests. The lovers of antiquities would enjoy a visit to the Ismailia Regional Museum; it contains Pharaonic, Islamic, Greek and Roman collections. A trip to Tal Hassan Dawoud, about 4km from Ismailia, would also be worth the detour; there you will find 350 tombs dating back to the pre-historic age.

Visit the beautiful Mallaha Park, it is full of flowers, trees and plants from all over the world and, if it’s open, Ferdinand De Lesseps house.

Two monuments, reminders of more recent history, stand at about 7km south of Ismailia. The first on the west bank of the Canal is a memorial to the unknown soldier of the First World War. The second, on the east bank is a monument, shaped like a bayonet, dedicated to the dead of the 6th of October 1973 war.

There are some public beaches around Lake Timsah but the nicest spot is a private beach and pool on Forsan Island, to the north east of town. There are also water-skiing, windsurfing and tennis facilities on Forsan Island.

If you happen to be in Ismailia around Easter, this is when the festivals take place. First there is the festival of Sham El Nessim, when families picnic in the park and a few days later the Doll Burning Festival, when dolls made to the likeness of public enemies are burned effigy.

Finally, enjoy all the fish you can eat all along the coast and in the delta. The restaurants offer the freshest seafood prepared in many creative ways.