Ismailia#The Eastern Catholic Eparchy

{{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

| name = Ismailia

| other_name =

| native_name = {{lang|ar|الإسماعيلية}}

| settlement_type = City

| motto =

| image_skyline = {{Photomontage

| photo1a = EG-suez-13-bg-ismailia.jpg

| photo2a = Battle of Ismailia Monument.jpg

| photo2b = EG-suez-14-bg-ismailia.jpg

| photo3a = EG-Ismailia-Suezkanal.jpg

| photo3b = EG-suez-12-bg-ismailia.jpg

| photo3c = Ismailia Egypt.jpg

| size = 275

| spacing = 2

| color = transparent

}}

| imagesize = 270px

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| pushpin_map = Egypt#Africa

| pushpin_label_position = bottom

| pushpin_mapsize = 300

| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Egypt

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = Egypt

| subdivision_type1 = Governorate

| subdivision_name1 = Ismailia

| subdivision_type2 =

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| area_footnotes = {{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}}

| area_total_km2 = 68.8

| area_land_km2 =

| population_as_of = 2021

| population_footnotes =

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| population_total = 1,429,465

| population_density_km2 = auto

| population_density_sq_mi = auto

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| population_density_metro_km2 = auto

| population_density_metro_sq_mi = auto

| population_blank1_title = Ethnicities

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| population_density_blank1_km2 = auto

| population_density_blank1_sq_mi = auto

| population_demonym = Ismailiata

| timezone = EET

| utc_offset = +2

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| coordinates = {{coord|30|35|N|32|16|E|region:EG|display=inline}}

| elevation_footnotes =

| 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

File:Ismailia Train Station, Egypt 1915. Indian troops are lined up in front of it.jpg

File:ISMAILIA - Office of the Suez Canal Co.png

Ismailia was founded in 1863, during the construction of the Suez Canal, by Khedive 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.Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer

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.{{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}}{{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}}

=Government and politics=

The 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 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 policemen 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. 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 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

Ismailia hosts two important festivals each year. The first is the International Film Festival for Documentaries and Shorts that is held in June.{{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}} 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.{{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}}

= Tourism =

File:Fernidan de Lesseps house Ismailia.JPG' 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. Driving to the Taba Border Crossing at 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]]

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 League three times (1967, 1991, 2002), the Egyptian Cup twice (1997, 2000), and the 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 (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.{{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 }}

{{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{{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}}

|date=August 2014}}

File:Ismailia Railway Station.jpg

Notable people

See also

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 }}