Editing Ismailia

{{Short description|City in Egypt}}
{{About||the branch of Shia Islam|Ismailism|the foraminiferan genus|Ismailia (genus)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2018}}
{{more citations needed|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!--See the Table at Infobox settlement for all fields and descriptions of usage-->
<!-- Basic info ---------------->| name               = Ismailia
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| native_name        = {{lang|ar|الإسماعيلية}}
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities and towns in Egypt|City]]
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| photo2a = Battle of Ismailia Monument.jpg 
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<!-- Location ------------------>| subdivision_type   = Country
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| subdivision_name1  = [[Ismailia Governorate|Ismailia]]
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| area_footnotes     = <ref name="citypopulation">{{cite web |title=Egypt: Governorates, Major Cities & Towns – Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=https://citypopulation.de/en/egypt/cities/?cityid=565 |website=citypopulation.de |access-date=17 March 2023}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 68.8
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<!-- Population ----------------------->| population_as_of   = 2021
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| population_total   = 1,429,465
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| population_demonym = Ismailiata
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| coordinates        = {{coord|30|35|N|32|16|E|region:EG|display=inline}}
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="citypopulation" />
| elevation_m        = 14
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| area_code          = (+20) 69 or (+20) 64
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'''Ismailia''' ({{langx|ar|الإسماعيلية}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|ALA|al-Ismāʻīlīyah}}'', {{IPA|arz|lesmæʕiˈlejjæ|lang}}) is a city in north-eastern [[Egypt]]. Situated on the west bank of the [[Suez Canal]], it is the capital of the [[Ismailia Governorate]]. The city had an estimated population of about 1,434,741 according to the statistics issued by the Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics on 27 July 2022. It is located approximately halfway between [[Port Said]] to the north and [[Suez]] to the south. The Canal widens at that point to include [[Lake Timsah]], one of the [[Bitter Lakes]] linked by the Canal.

== History ==
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Zoetwaterkanaal te Ismailia met Hollandse ophaalbrug. TMnr 60002282.jpg|thumb|left|Ismaïlia, ca. 1870]]
[[File:Ismailia Train Station, Egypt 1915. Indian troops are lined up in front of it.jpg|thumb|left|Indian troops lined up in front of Ismalia Train Station, 1915.]]
[[File:ISMAILIA - Office of the Suez Canal Co.png|thumb|left|Postcard of the Suez Canal Company]]
Ismailia was founded in 1863, during the construction of the [[Suez Canal]], by Khedive [[Isma'il Pasha|Ismail]], after whom the city is named. Following the [[Battle of Kafr-el-Dawwar]] in 1882 the British established a base there.

The head office of the [[Suez Canal Authority]] is located in Ismailia at the shore of Lake Timsah. It has a large number of buildings dating from British and French involvement with the Canal. Most of these buildings are currently used by Canal employees and officials.

During [[World War I]] the British had an air base there and the [[Battle of Romani]] took place nearby. Ismailia War Cemetery was designed in 1919 by Sir [[Robert Lorimer]] marking the casualties of the battle.<ref>Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer</ref>

In 1973 the [[Battle of Ismailia]] took place in the city.

In October 2023, a massive fire broke out in the security directorate of the city, leaving the building fully burned with 38 injured and 1 dead.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-02 |title=One dead and dozens injured as fire engulfs police complex in Egypt's Ismailia |url=https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/egypt/2023/10/02/huge-fire-erupts-at-police-facility-in-egypts-ismailia/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=The National |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-03 |title=Fire engulfs Ismailia Security Directorate, dozens injured – Dailynewsegypt |url=https://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2023/10/03/fire-engulfs-ismailia-security-directorate-dozens-injured/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Government and politics===
The [[History of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt|Muslim Brotherhood]] was founded in Ismailia by [[Hassan al-Banna]] in March 1928. An underground paramilitary wing was established in the 1940s, primarily to contest the [[History of Egypt under the British|British occupation of Egypt]]. In the early 1950s, Ismailia hosted the British Military HQ and the Civilian Administration Centre of the Canal Zone. An attack on an Egyptian government building and army barracks manned by [[auxiliary police]]men by a British Army force on 25 January 1952 was a key event leading to the overthrow of King [[Farouk I]] later that year and the Egyptian Revolution that followed. British forces pulled out of Ismailia in 1954.

== Eparchy ==
On 17 December 1982 an Eparchy ([[Eastern Catholic]] Diocese) of Ismayliah was established on territory split off from the [[Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria]] ([[Alexandrian Rite]] in [[Coptic language]]), which remains its [[Metropolitan bishop|Metropolitan]]. Its episcopal see is St. Mark's cathedral.

;Suffragan Eparchs (Bishops of Ismayliah)
* Athanasios Abadir (17 December 1982 – 25 December 1992, his death), previously [[Titular Bishop]] of [[Appia (Phrygia)|Appia]] and [[Patriarchal Vicar]] of [[Alexandria of the Copts]] (Egypt) (18 May 1976 – 17 December 1982)
* Youhannes Ezzat Zakaria Badir (23 November 1992 – 23 June 1994), later Eparch (Bishop) of [[Luqsor of the Copts]] (Egypt) (23 June 1994 – 27 December 2015, his death)
* Makarios Tewfik (23 June 1994 – 29 June 2019, resigned)
* Daniel Lotfy Khella (29 June 2019 –  23 September 2022) (Patriarchal administrator 23 September 2022  – 31 March 2023)
* Pola Ayoub Matta Usama Shafik Akhnoukh (31 March 2023 – Present)

== Education ==
Ismailia has several public and private schools. Ismailia is the home of the [[Suez Canal University]], established in 1976 with the help of the Chinese Government to serve the region of Suez Canal and Sinai. Suez Canal University now is one of the fastest growing educational institutions in Egypt with many students studying abroad.

== Culture and recreation ==

=== Arts and festivals ===
[[File:Virgin Mary Church.jpg|thumbnail|right|Virgin Mary Church known as "Guardian of the Canal", is one of many examples of French architecture in Ismailia]]
Ismailia hosts two important festivals each year. The first is the International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts that is held in June.<ref>{{cite web|title= Ismailia Film Festival 21st version (2019)edition to be from 10 April to 16 April 2019|url=http://www.ismailiafilmfest.com/|website=Ismailia Film Festival|access-date=4 August 2014}}</ref> In June 2014, the 17th consecutive festival was organized. The second is the Ismailia International Folklore Arts Festival that is held in September. In this festival folkloric troupes from all around the globe meet in Ismailia, where they perform folkloric dances representing the culture of their countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/116352/Ismailia?lang=en-us|title=Ismailia|website=Egypt State Information Service|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref>

=== Tourism ===
[[File:Fernidan de Lesseps house Ismailia.JPG|thumb|[[Ferdinand de Lesseps]]' house and office in Ismailia, near the Suez Canal]]
Ismailia does get tourists from within Egypt, but is not a major tourism destination for international tourists. The city is approximately a ninety-minute automobile drive from [[Cairo]]. From Ismailia it is approximately a four-hour drive to [[Sharm el-Sheikh]] in South [[Sinai Peninsula|Sinai]]. Driving to the [[Taba Border Crossing]] at [[Taba (Egypt)|Taba]] and the [[Rafah Border Crossing]] at [[Rafah]] are both approximately four-hour drives. A major attraction is the Ismailia Museum which was built in 1932. Visitors will find a variety of significant archaeological finds especially from sites in the Ismailia governorate such as Tell el-Maskhuta, from North Sinai, and from Upper Egypt.

=== Sports ===
[[File:Ismailia Stadium.jpg|thumb|[[Ismailia Stadium]]]]
Ismailia is home to the third most successful club in Egypt (in the field of Football, [[Ismaily SC]]. The club's performance is considered a major political issue, and can tend to dictate the city's mood. The team enjoys brief stints of competition for local and international competition, but its financial situation prevents these stints from extending beyond a few years. The team has won the [[Egyptian Premier League|Egyptian League]] three times (1967, 1991, 2002), the [[Egyptian Soccer Cup|Egyptian Cup]] twice (1997, 2000), and the [[CAF Champions League|African Cup of Champions Clubs]] once in 1969 as the first Egyptian and Arab Club team to have won this league.

== Climate ==
[[Köppen-Geiger climate classification system]] classifies its climate as [[hot desert climate|hot desert]] (BWh).

The hottest recorded temperature was {{convert|47|°C}} on 14 June 1944 while the coldest recorded temperature was {{convert|0.2|°C}} in January.<ref name="Voodoo Skies">{{cite web | url =http://voodooskies.com/weather/egypt/ismailia | title =Ismailia, Egypt | access-date =5 July 2013 | publisher =Voodoo Skies | archive-date =18 March 2015 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150318123126/http://voodooskies.com/weather/egypt/ismailia | url-status =dead }}</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Ismailia ([[Ismailia Air Base]]) 1961–1990
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan record high C=28.6
|Feb record high C=33.6
|Mar record high C=39.2
|Apr record high C=41.4
|May record high C=46.2
|Jun record high C=46.0
|Jul record high C=43.5
|Aug record high C=42.0
|Sep record high C=44.0
|Oct record high C=39.4
|Nov record high C=36.5
|Dec record high C=32.0

|Jan high C = 19.2
|Feb high C = 20.9
|Mar high C = 23.3
|Apr high C = 28.6
|May high C = 31.8
|Jun high C = 34.8
|Jul high C = 35.7
|Aug high C = 35.3
|Sep high C = 33.1
|Oct high C = 30
|Nov high C = 25.4
|Dec high C = 20.9
|year high C = 28.2

|Jan mean C = 14.8
|Feb mean C = 16.1
|Mar mean C = 18.3
|Apr mean C = 22.9
|May mean C = 25.7
|Jun mean C = 28
|Jul mean C = 29.8
|Aug mean C = 29.6
|Sep mean C = 27.8
|Oct mean C = 24.8
|Nov mean C = 20.3
|Dec mean C = 15.9
|year mean C = 22.8

|Jan low C = 7.6
|Feb low C = 8.3
|Mar low C = 10.3
|Apr low C = 14.1
|May low C = 16.4
|Jun low C = 19.5
|Jul low C = 21.3
|Aug low C = 21.5
|Sep low C = 19.7
|Oct low C = 16.6
|Nov low C = 12.7
|Dec low C = 8.9
|year low C = 14.7
|Jan record low C=0.2
|Feb record low C= 2
|Mar record low C=4.6
|Apr record low C=6.8
|May record low C=10.2
|Jun record low C=15
|Jul record low C=17
|Aug record low C=18
|Sep record low C=15.2
|Oct record low C=9.7
|Nov record low C=4.6
|Dec record low C=4.8

|precipitation colour=green
|Jan precipitation mm = 7
|Feb precipitation mm = 6
|Mar precipitation mm = 7
|Apr precipitation mm = 2
|May precipitation mm = 2
|Jun precipitation mm = 0
|Jul precipitation mm = 0
|Aug precipitation mm = 0
|Sep precipitation mm = 0
|Oct precipitation mm = 2
|Nov precipitation mm = 6
|Dec precipitation mm = 5
|year precipitation mm = 37
|Jan humidity = 57
|Feb humidity = 54
|Mar humidity = 49
|Apr humidity = 43
|May humidity = 42
|Jun humidity = 46
|Jul humidity = 48
|Aug humidity = 51
|Sep humidity = 54
|Oct humidity = 55
|Nov humidity = 58
|Dec humidity = 60
|year humidity = 51.4
| Jan dew point C = 5.6
| Feb dew point C = 5.9
| Mar dew point C = 6.5
| Apr dew point C = 7.8
| May dew point C = 10.4
| Jun dew point C = 14.0
| Jul dew point C = 16.8
| Aug dew point C = 17.5
| Sep dew point C = 16.9
| Oct dew point C = 14.7
| Nov dew point C = 10.9
| Dec dew point C = 7.7
| year dew point C = 11.2
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 1.1
|Feb precipitation days = 0.5
|Mar precipitation days = 0.7
|Apr precipitation days = 0.3
|May precipitation days = 0.2
|Jun precipitation days = 0.0
|Jul precipitation days = 0.0
|Aug precipitation days = 0.0
|Sep precipitation days = 0.0
|Oct precipitation days = 0.0
|Nov precipitation days = 0.2
|Dec precipitation days = 0.5
|year precipitation days = 3.5
|source 1 = NOAA<ref name= NOAA>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231004172534/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-I/UB/62440.TXT
| archive-date = 4 October 2023
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-I/UB/62440.TXT
| title = Ismailia (A) Climate Normals 1961–1990
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = 4 October 2023}}</ref>
|date=August 2014}}

[[File:Ismailia Railway Station.jpg|thumbnail|right|Ismailia's railway station]]

== Notable people==
*[[Hassan al-Banna]], founder of the [[Muslim Brotherhood]], worked as a teacher in Ismailia
*[[Louis Chedid]], French singer and songwriter, son of writer [[Andrée Chedid]] and father of [[Matthieu Chedid]] was born in Ismailia on 1 January 1948
*[[Claude François]], French pop singer and songwriter, born in Ismailia on 1 February 1939
*[[Ali Gabr]], footballer
*[[Ragaa Al Geddawy]] (1934–2020), film actress, model and niece of Taheyya Kariokka
*[[Ahmed Hegazi (footballer)|Ahmed Hegazy]], footballer
*[[Aura Herzog]], First Lady of Israel, wife of former Israeli President [[Chaim Herzog]] and mother of current Israeli President [[Isaac Herzog]] born in Ismailia on 24 December 1924.
*[[Taheyya Kariokka]], Egyptian [[belly dancer]] and film actress, born in Ismailia on 22 February 1919
*[[Yasmine Khlat]], Lebanese actress
*[[Fernand Legros]] (1931-1983), Art dealer
*[[Osman Ahmed Osman]], influential Egyptian engineer, [[General contractor|contractor]], entrepreneur, and politician, born in Ismailia on 6 April 1917
*[[Mohamed Diab]], Egyptian director
*[[Omar Moawad]], footballer

==See also==
{{portal|Egypt}}
* [[List of cities and towns in Egypt]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* {{Cite web|url=https://www.fallingrain.com/world/EG/07/Al_Ismailiyah.html |title=Geographical information on Al Ismailiyah, Egypt |access-date=23 March 2008 |author=Falling Rain Genomics, Inc |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080927023024/http://www.fallingrain.com/world/EG/7/Al_Ismailiyah.html |archive-date=27 September 2008 }}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Ismailia}}
* {{Official website|http://www.ismailia.gov.eg/|Ismaïlia governorate official website}}
* [http://www.gcatholic.org/dioceses/diocese/isma0.htm Diocese of Ismailia GCatholic]
* {{Catholic-hierarchy |diocese|dismy|Eparchy of Ismayliah (Coptic)|accessdate= 14 June 2023 }}
* {{Official website|http://www.scuegypt.edu.eg/|Suez Canal University official website}}
* [http://shortanimationstudio.blogspot.com/ Short animation festival in Ismailia]

{{Coord|30|35|N|32|16|E|display=title}}

{{Governorates capital of Egypt}}
{{Egyptian Cities}}
{{Suez Canal}}
<!-- Template removed per [[Wikipedia:Templates_for_deletion/Log/2008_April_22#Template:AL_LargestCities]] -->

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ismailia| ]]
[[Category:Governorate capitals in Egypt]]
[[Category:Populated places in Ismailia Governorate]]
[[Category:Metropolitan areas of Egypt]]
[[Category:Suez Canal]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1863]]
[[Category:Cities in Egypt]]
[[Category:1863 establishments in Egypt]]
[[Category:Transcontinental cities]]