We are the city. We are the hustle and bustle and those endless walks amidst ancient buildings, leaning on trees that watched our grandparents grow. We are the streets that twist and turn, widen and narrow down to small alleys that bear the treasure of time. We are those old songs that get remixed and never fall out of fashion. We are the city that owns the truth and all our versions of it.
Walking through the valiant city of Port Said is quite an experience. Walking with the architects is a whole new level of awareness of the city's urban fabric. A few weeks ago, Ahram Online joined the walk of the renowned professor of architectural engineering, Adel Yassin's Forum. The brainchild of Professor of Engineering Nancy Elhadedy, the forum was established some two years ago by the prominent architects and dedicated students of Professor Yassin, who wanted to reconnect with him and exchange knowledge. The forum includes regular gatherings and heritage-themed trips. Port Said was their first destination.
Port-Said Before 1855
Known as one of the Suez Canal trio cities (Suez–Ismailia–Port Said), Port Said was built around 1859 during the reign of Khedive Said, in parallel with the digging of the Suez Canal. According to Egypt's official Information Centre, by 1870, Port Said had three shore basins on the western bank of the Suez Canal. However, the new city, named after the Khedive, is built on the location of a historic site that long played a major role in Egyptian history.
According to the Encyclopaedia on the History of Port Said by Diaa El-Din Hassan Al-Qady, Port Said was built on the sites of three ancient towns: Tanis, Al-Tina, and Al-Farama. These towns bear witness to ancient Egyptian relics and events. Tanis, for instance, was built during the 12th Dynasty of ancient Egypt, where it is said that Prophet Abraham and his wife Sarah passed through around 2000 BC, as well as Prophet Moses. Amenemhat III also built a grand temple that was discovered in 1884 in the area of Tanis.
Al-Farama, the book notes, was located 30 kilometres east of present-day Port Said and was regarded as the eastern gateway to Egypt. It was called Br-Amun in ancient Egypt, Bilos in the Greco-Roman era, Bermon or Berma in the Coptic era, and finally Al-Farama during the Arab rule of Egypt.
Suez Canal's ancient origins
The idea of connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, along with the Nile, occupied the minds of the ancient Egyptians for years. It began with Senusret III and his canal, which connected the Red and the Mediterranean seas to the Nile. In 1869, the Suez Canal was officially opened for navigation.
Breakfast by the sea
In Port Said, serenity comes naturally, matching the slow rhythm of life. With fewer crowds and less street noise, the city gradually unfolds its beauty. We began the tour with breakfast on the marina, overlooking the recently renovated promenade and the famous Italian House—the first building constructed directly on the marina in 1937. It served as a cultural centre and housed the Italian Consulate. It was burned in the 1960s, later restored, and then closed by the 1990s.
“It was designed like a book,” explained Mayada Sharaba, a GIS consultant, fashion designer, and member of Professor Adel Yassin's forum, as she led the tour of her hometown.
Port Said houses built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries were a mélange of styles that waltz between Neo-Renaissance, colonial revival, Art Deco, and new colonial revival, to name but a few.
What stands out is that almost all 20th-century houses had a shokhshekha on their rooftops. The shokhshekha is a typical Islamic-style ceiling opening that allows for better ventilation.
“Foreign residents of Port Said were accustomed to drinking their late afternoon tea on the rooftops by the shokhshekha,” added Sharaba. She explained that at 12 noon sharp, all employees of the Suez Canal Company would take their break. A designated office boy on a bicycle would pass by the employees' wives, collecting the lunch containers for each worker.
On the marina, there used to be a statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps. It was said that it was customary to place golden coins in the foundations of major constructions to bring prosperity, and this was done here as well, she recalled. The statue was taken down after the 1952 revolution.
“The new restaurant we ate at stands in the same location where the old Casino Palace restaurant was built and where scenes from the 1955 film Love and Tears were shot. The film starred Faten Hamama and Ahmed Ramzy,” she explained to Ahram Online.
The Port Said promenade
The recently renovated promenade offers a spacious pedestrian area along the port. There is even a small crosswalk with transparent gates that provide an overview of the marina.
Names instead of numbers
“In the old days, Port Said buildings had names instead of numbers, and they were usually named after their owners,” Sharaba explained. “This is Rosa’s Building, my family’s home, named after the Greek owner,” she said, pointing to a reddish building constructed in the 1880s, coinciding with the opening of the Suez Canal. “Our rooftop used to have a large statue of the Virgin Mary,” she added.
Sharaba also pointed out the site where the iconic comedy film Ishaat Hob (A Rumour of Love) was filmed. The current building stands on the former location of the villa of Lotfi Sharaba Bey, who also built the nearby mosque. He was living in the villa during filming. The villa was known for its long stained-glass mural that stretched across the building. The mosque was built opposite the cathedral as a symbol of unity.
Churches of Port Said
On 23 July Street, the main road in Port Said, lies a trail of old, authentic churches. Among them is Saint Eugénie Church, the oldest, built around 1890 on the remains of an earlier wooden structure, in a European style combining classical and Neo-Renaissance elements. In 2015, the church was listed on Egypt’s Heritage List for Islamic and Coptic monuments.
Ferial’s Garden
This small garden at the heart of the city marks the exact location of the inauguration of the Suez Canal in 1869. At the time, it was part of the marina, where wooden tents and walkways were set up for the occasion.
Stabene
Architect and cultural activist Heba Safey Eldeen introduced us to Mohamed Hassan, founder of the Port Said Ala Adeemo initiative, which aims to raise awareness of the city’s heritage.
Stabene (since 2022)—meaning “it’s a deal” or “it’s okay” in Italian and used in Egyptian slang—is their cultural hub, opened to engage young people in Port Said.
The brainchild of Mohamed Hassan, Omar Hassan, Mohamed Mosaad, and Mohamed Ayad, the initiative builds on Hassan’s earlier work documenting the city’s intangible heritage since 2014. The result is a vibrant youth hub offering bicycle tours, heritage events, and performances of semsemya, a traditional instrument listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on its World Heritage List.
As we sipped hibiscus with mint, Ahmed Kamal, the youngest semsemya player, performed and explained how he introduced wave-like forms into the instrument, designing strings that mimic the curves of the sea.
Crossing continents
It is not common to cross from one continent to another daily, but in Port Said, it is part of everyday life. Residents regularly travel to Port Fouad, a residential area on the Sinai Peninsula, accessible only by ferry.
Port Fouad is known for its English-style villas, originally built for employees of the Suez Canal Company. It is also a place where flamingos can often be seen gliding peacefully across the water.
The Story of a City Museum
We ended our tour of this valiant city at a unique museum of intangible cultural heritage. The Story of a City Museum preserves photographs, memories, and newspaper headlines documenting the resilience of its people.
It tells the story of a city that stood firm against the tripartite aggression launched by Britain, France, and Israel in 1956, and whose national day coincides with the evacuation of the last British soldier that same year. After Egypt’s victory in the October War of 1973, President Anwar Sadat issued a decree in 1976 turning the city into a free zone.
The museum is the result of the collective efforts of Reda Kamaly, head of the workers’ union; Professor Mohamed Shagar, a researcher of Port Said’s history; and Professor Mahmoud Feshara, a historian of the city.
Here, visitors can find old photographs tracing the lives of Port Said families—Italian, Greek, and Egyptian alike—alongside churches, local heroes, and original newspapers documenting the city’s history. The museum also displays portraits of King Fouad and Princess Ferial, whose names mark key landmarks in the city, as well as artefacts such as an old telephone, a gramophone, and a television-cassette unit.
The museum’s location is equally enchanting: it is housed in one of Port Said’s historic buildings, overlooking the port itself, with a breathtaking view.
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