Suez Canal

Suez (al-Suways) is an ancient site. In the Ptolemaic period it was Klysma, and during medieval times Qulzum. It has provincial status. Three-quarters of the town was razed during the first Egypt-Israel conflict but much has been rebuilt. It is now a thriving industrial centre producing petrochemicals, cement and fertilisers. On a promontory to the S lies Port Tawfiq (Biir Tawtiq), a recent settlement which houses the officials of Suez and provides services for the port. (Hotels: Summer Palace and Red Sea.) The H44 runs S from Suez along the coast of the Gulf of Suez (Rte 50) and contlp.ues inland of the Suez Canal, W of the railway and the
Sweetwater Canal. A lesser road follows the canal bank more Rte47 closely. The first village on the H44 is (7km) al-Kubri. 4km further a road leaves E to the .Al;Lmad I;lamdi Tunnel (Nafaq al-Shahid AJ;i.mad I;lamdi) which goes under the canal to the E bank and Sinai. Built by French and Swedish engineers, it is 1.4km long. The H44 continues N past (8km) Ginayfah, Kasfarit, and the larger town of (15km) Fayid. It then runs due N for 30km before reaching al-Isma9liyyah.

History After the revolution of 1952 the British wished to keep a military base in the Suez Canal Zone but were refused by Nasser. In 1954 the British accepted this
and agreed merely to maintain a presence of technicians serving the British companies on the canal. By April 1956 all British troops had left Egyptian soil. The subsequent unfortunate episode in which Britain, France and Israel tried to reinvade the Canal Zone is well-known and led to a long period of estrangement between Britain and Egypt. During the Egypt-Israel conflicts of 1967 and 1913 the canal suffered greatly and many ships were. sunk in the
channel. Following removal of the obstructions the canal soon reached its former levels of traffic and is at present undergoing extensive reconstruction which will lead to greatly increased capacity. The canal is 160.3km long and single-carriage except for two passing places at al-Ballal_i and the Bitter Lakes. There are three convoy bands, one N and two s.

Port Tawfiq Three-quarters of the town was razed during the first Egypt-Israel conflict but much has been rebuilt. It is now a thriving industrial
centre producing petrochemicals, cement and fertilisers. On a promontory to the S lies Port Tawfiq (Biir Tawtiq), a recent settlement which houses the officials of Suez and provides services for the port. (Hotels: Summer Palace and Red Sea.) The H44 runs S from Suez along the coast of the Gulf of Suez (Rte
50) and contlp.ues inland of the Suez Canal, W of the railway and the Sweetwater Canal. A lesser road follows the canal bank more closely.