View source for Port Said

{{Short description|Egyptian city on the northern end of the Suez Canal}}
{{Distinguish|Port Saeed}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Port Said
| native_name        = بورسعيد
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities and towns in Egypt|City]]
| image_skyline     = {{Multiple image
| perrow            = 1/3/2/2
| total_width       = 310
| caption_align     = center
| image1            = Port said egypt (6).JPG
| caption1          = View from the [[Suez Canal]]
| image2            = ستاد النادي المصري.jpg
| caption2          =[[Al Masry Club Stadium|El Masry Stadium]]
| image3            = PortSaidEgypt2 byDanielCsorfoly.JPG
| caption3          = [[Suez Canal]]
| image4            = Port Said 100 (13).jpg
| caption4          = [[Mediterranean]]
| image5            = Port Said , photo by Hatem Moushir 5.jpg
| caption5          = [[Port Said Lighthouse]]
| image6            = St Eugenies's Catholic church at port said by Hatem Moushir 1.jpg
| caption6          = [[Church of Saint Eugénie in Port Said|Church of Saint Eugénie]]
| image7            = Port Said Obelisk.jpg
| caption7          = [[Museum of Modern Art in Egypt|Museum of Modern Art]]
| image8            = Port Said, Egypt, Suez Canal, Port Fuad.jpg
| caption8          = [[Port Said Port Authority|Port Said Port]]
| border            = infobox
}}
| image_flag         = Flag of Port Said.svg
| image_seal         = Coat of arms of Port Said Governorate.PNG
| image_shield       = 
| nickname           = ''The valiant city''
| motto              = 
| image_map          = 
| map_caption        = Port Said, and the entrance to the Suez Canal, viewed from the [[International Space Station|ISS]]
| pushpin_map        = Egypt
| pushpin_label_position = bottom
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Egypt
| coordinates        = {{coord|31|15|45|N|32|18|22|E|region:EG|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_relief     = 1
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[Egypt]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Governorates of Egypt|Governorate]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Port Said Governorate|Port Said]]
| subdivision_type2  = 
| subdivision_name2  = 
| established_title  = Founded
| established_date   = 1859
| government_type    = City-state
| government_footnotes = 
| leader_title       = Governor
| leader_name        = Moheb Habashi Khalil<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.portsaid.gov.eg/CurrentGovernor|publisher=Port Said Governorate official website|title=محافظ بورسعيد}}</ref>
| area_footnotes     =<ref name="citypopulation">{{cite web |title=Egypt: Governorates, Major Cities & Towns – Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information |url=http://www.citypopulation.de/en/egypt/cities/?cityid=587 |website=www.citypopulation.de |access-date=17 March 2023}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 1,294
| area_land_km2      = 
| elevation_footnotes =<ref name="citypopulation" />
| elevation_m        = 0–6
| population_footnotes =<ref name=":1" />
| population_total   = 797,398
| population_as_of   = 2023
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_note    = CAPMS 2023 estimate
| demographics_type1 = [[Gross domestic product|GDP (PPP, constant 2015 values)]]
| demographics1_footnotes = 
| demographics1_title1 = Year
| demographics1_info1 = 2024
| demographics1_title2 = Total
| demographics1_info2 = $14.0&nbsp;billion<ref name="TelluBase">{{cite web |title=TelluBase—Egypt Fact Sheet (Tellusant Public Service Series) |url=https://tellusant.com/repo/tb/tellubase-factsheet-egy.pdf |publisher=Tellusant |access-date=11 July 2025}}</ref>
| demographics1_title3 = Per capita
| demographics1_info3 = $17,600
| timezone           = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
| utc_offset         = +2
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +3
| postal_code_type   = 
| postal_code        = 
| area_code          = +20 (66)
| website            = [http://www.portsaid.gov.eg/default.aspx PortSaid.gov.eg] {{in lang|ar}}
| footnotes          = 
| module             = {{Infobox mapframe |wikidata=yes|zoom=14|marker=harbor|coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
}}

[[File:ISS-46 Suez Canal, Port Said, Egypt.jpg|thumb|400px|Port Said, [[Port Fuad]] and [[Suez Canal]]]]

'''Port Said''' ({{IPAc-en|s|ɑː|ˈ|iː|d}} {{respell|sah|EED}}, {{langx|ar|بورسعيد|Bōrsaʿīd}}, {{IPA|arz|boɾsæˈʕiːd, poɾ-|pron}}) is a port city that lies in northeast [[Egypt]] extending about {{cvt|30|km|mi}} along the coast of the [[Mediterranean Sea]], straddling the west bank of the northern mouth of the [[Suez Canal]]. The city is the capital of the [[Port Said Governorate]] and it forms the majority of the governorate, where its seven districts comprise seven of the governorate's eight regions.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=About – Administrative Division |url=https://portsaid.gov.eg/StaticContent/1 |access-date=3 January 2024 |website=portsaid.gov.eg}}</ref> At the beginning of 2023 it had a population of 680,375 people.<ref name=":1" />

The city was established in 1859 during the building of the Suez Canal. There are numerous old houses with grand balconies on all floors, giving the city a distinctive look. Port Said's twin city is [[Port Fuad]], which lies on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal. The two cities coexist, to the extent that there is hardly any town centre in Port Fuad. The cities are connected by free [[Ferry|ferries]] running all through the day, and together they form a [[metropolitan area]] with over a million residents that extends both on the African and the Asian sides of the Suez Canal.

Port Said acted as a [[global city]] since its establishment and flourished particularly during the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century when it was inhabited by various nationalities and religions. Most of them were from Mediterranean countries, and they coexisted in tolerance, forming a [[wikt:cosmopolitan|cosmopolitan]] community. Referring to this fact, [[Rudyard Kipling]] once said, "If you truly wish to find someone you have known and who travels, there are two points on the globe you have but to sit and wait, sooner or later your man will come there: the docks of London and Port Said".<ref name="ReferenceA">Port-Saïd : Architectures XIXe-XXe siècles</ref> Port Said is an important city in Egypt for trade and business, due to its location on the coastal region.

==Name==
{{anchor|Etymology}}
The name of Port Said first appeared in 1855. It was chosen by an international committee composed of [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|the UK]], [[Second French Empire|France]], the [[Russian Empire]], [[Austrian Empire|Austria]], Spain and [[Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont|Piedmont]]. It is a compound name which composed of two parts: the French word [[:wikt:port#French|port]] (marine harbour) and [[Sa'id of Egypt|Said]] (the name of the ruler of Egypt at that time), who granted [[Ferdinand de Lesseps]] the concession to dig the Suez Canal.<ref name=Bowen1886>{{Cite journal |last=Bowen|first=John Eliot |date=1886 |title=The Conflict of East and West in Egypt |url=https://archive.org/download/conflictofeastwe00bowerich/conflictofeastwe00bowerich_bw.pdf |journal=Political Science Quarterly |volume=1|issue=2|pages=295–335 |doi=10.2307/2138972 |jstor=2138972}}</ref> Urbanized residents pronounce the name {{IPA|arz|boɾsæˈʕiːd|}} or {{IPA|arz|poɾsæˈʕiːd|}}, while unurbanized residents pronounce it {{IPA|und|bɔɾsaˈʕɛˑd||cat=no}}.

In [[Ancient Greek]], the city was called {{lang|grc|Πηλούσιον}} ({{Transliteration|grc|Pēloúsion}}).

==History==
{{see also|Timeline of Port Said}}

===Founding (1859) ===
[[File:PORT-SAÏD -- De Lesseps monument (n.d.) - front - TIMEA.jpg|thumb|Ferdinand de Lesseps monument on the tourist jetty|left]]
[[File:French sailors and Indian troops at Port Said 1914.jpg|thumb|French sailors and Indian troops at Port Said in 1914]]
[[File:Port-Said. Village Arabe.png|thumb|Postcard of the Arab quarter of Port Said]]
[[File:Port Said, The Office of the Suez Canal Company (n.d.) - front - TIMEA.jpg|thumb|250px|The office of the Suez Canal Company in Port Said, built in 1893|left]]

Port Said was founded by [[Sa'id of Egypt]] on Easter Monday, 25 April 1859, when [[Ferdinand de Lesseps]] gave the first symbolic swing of the pickaxe to signal the beginning of construction. The first problem encountered was the difficulty for ships to drop anchor nearby. Luckily, a single rocky outcrop flush with the shoreline was discovered a few hundred meters away. Equipped with a wooden wharf, it served as a mooring berth for the boats. Soon after, a wooden [[jetty]] was built, connecting the departure islet, as it quickly became known, to the beach. This rock could be considered the heart of the developing city, and it was on this highly symbolic site, forty years later, that a monument to de Lesseps was erected.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

There were no local resources here. Everything Port Said needed had to be imported: wood, stone, supplies, machinery, equipment, housing, food and even water. Giant water storage containers were erected to supply fresh water until the [[Sweet Water Canal]] could be completed. One of the most pressing problems was the lack of stone. Early buildings were often imported in kit form and made great use of wood. A newly developed technique was used to construct the jetties called conglomerate concrete or "Beton Coignet", which was named after its inventor François Coignet. Blocks of concrete were sunk into the sea to be the foundations of the jetties. Still more innovative was the use of the same concrete for the [[lighthouse of Port Said]], the only original building still standing in Port Said.
In 1859 the first 150 laborers camped in tents around a wooden shed. A year later, the number of inhabitants had risen to 2000 – with the European contingent housed in wooden bungalows imported from northern Europe. By 1869, when the canal opened, the permanent population had reached 10,000. The European district, clustered around the waterfront, was separated from the Arab district, Gemalia, {{cvt|400|m|ft|sp=us}} to the west, by a wide strip of sandy beach where a tongue of [[Lake Manzala]] reached towards the sea. This inlet soon dried out and was replaced by buildings; over time there was no division between the European and Arab quarters.

Since its establishment, Port Said played a significant role in Egyptian history. The British entered Egypt through the city in 1882, starting their occupation of Egypt.

===Thriving international port and city (1902–1945) ===
[[File:Map of Port Said (Baedeker, 1914).jpg|thumb|left|French map of Port Said, c. 1914]]

At the start of the twentieth century, two things happened to change Port Said: in 1902, Egyptian cotton from [[El Matareya, Dakahlia|Mataria]] started to be exported via Port Said; and in 1904 a standard gauge railway opened to [[Cairo]]. The result was to attract a large commercial community and to raise its social status. In particular a sizable Greek community grew up. In 1907, the quickly growing city had about 50,000 inhabitants, among whom were 11,000 Europeans "of all nations".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Baedeker |first1=Karl |title=Indien. Handbuch für Reisende |date=1914 |publisher=Karl Baedeker |location=Leipzig |page=5 |language=de |quote=Die rasch anwachsende Zahl der Bewohner belief sich 1907 auf 50 000, darunter fast 11 000 Europäer aller Nationen, im übrigens Araber, Berber, Neger in buntem Gemisch.}}</ref> During the First World War, Port Said became home to an important Allied hospital.<ref>Leeds, ''West Yorkshire Archive Service,''Letter from Cornforth to Leeds Town Clerk Mitchell, 9 December 1918.</ref> Due to the strategic location of Port Said intersecting Europe, Africa and Asia, thousands of men were sent to this hospital. This included soldiers wounded as a result from the Gallipoli campaign in 1915. Following the end of the [[World War I]], the directors of the Suez Canal Company decided to create a new city on the Asian bank, building 300 houses for its labourers and functionaries. Port Fouad was designed by the [[École des Beaux-Arts]] in Paris. The houses follow the French model. The new city was founded in December 1926.

Since its foundation people of all nationalities and religions had been moving to the city and each community brought in its own customs, cuisine, religion and architecture. By the late 1920s the population numbered over 100,000 people. In the 1930s for example there were elegant public buildings designed by Italian architects. The old Arab Quarter was swallowed up into the thriving city.<ref name="myportsaid.info">{{cite web |url=http://www.myportsaid.info/Brief%20History%20of%20PS.html |title=Brief History of Port Said |access-date=21 January 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721225230/http://www.myportsaid.info/Brief%20History%20of%20PS.html |archive-date=21 July 2011}}</ref> Port Said by now was a thriving, bustling international port with a multi-national population: Jewish merchants, Egyptian shopkeepers, Greek photographers, Italian architects, Swiss hoteliers, Maltese administrators, Scottish engineers, French bankers and diplomats from all around the world. All lived and worked alongside the large local Egyptian community. And always passing through were international travelers to and from Africa, India and the Far East. Intermarriage between French, Italian and Maltese was particularly common, resulting in a local Latin and Catholic community like those of Alexandria and Cairo. French was the common language of the European and non-Arab population, and often the first language of children born to parents from different communities. Italian was also widely spoken and was the mother tongue of part of the Maltese community, since the ancestors of the latter had come to Egypt before the Anglicization of Malta in the 1920s. Multilingualism was a characteristic of the foreign population of Port Said, with most people continuing to speak community languages as well as the common French.

In 1936 a treaty was signed between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Egypt called the [[Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936]]. It stipulated the British pledge to withdraw all their troops from Egypt, except those necessary to protect the Suez Canal and its surroundings.

[[File:Admiralty Chart No 234 Port Said, Published 1966.jpg|thumb|left|Admiralty Chart of Port Said, Published 1966]]

=== Revolution, end of British occupation (1946–present) ===
Following [[World War II]], Egypt denounced the [[Anglo-Egyptian Treaty of 1936]], leading to skirmishes with British troops guarding the [[Suez Canal]] in 1951.

The [[Egyptian Revolution of 1952]] led to the toppling of [[King Farouk]]. On 26 July 1956, President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] nationalised the Suez Canal Company. The nationalisation escalated tensions with Britain and France, who colluded with Israel to invade Egypt, the invasion known in Egypt as the tripartite aggression or the [[Suez Crisis]]. On 6 November 1956, British troops [[Timeline of the Suez Crisis#Royal Marines come ashore at Port Said|violently landed in Port Said]] while firing on the Egyptian military. Port Said next was bombed by the British, to terrorise the civilians, of whom hundreds died. There was also heavy fighting in the streets with again many civilian casualties, and the resulting fires destroyed much of the city.

The withdrawal of the last soldier of foreign troops was on 23 December 1956.<ref>{{cite news |title=On This Day: 1956: Jubilation as allied troops leave Suez |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/23/newsid_3294000/3294305.stm |access-date=18 October 2016 |agency=BBC |date=23 December 1956 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071226115923/http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/23/newsid_3294000/3294305.stm |archive-date=26 December 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref> Since then, this day was chosen as Port Said's national day. It is widely celebrated annually in Port Said. The French-speaking European community had begun to emigrate to Europe, Australia, South Africa and elsewhere in 1946 and most of the remainder left Egypt in the wake of the Suez Crisis, paralleling the contemporary exodus of French-speaking Europeans from Tunisia. Most of the Greek community was also expelled or left the town under the rule of Gamal Abdel Nasser.<ref>A Presence without a Narrative: The Greeks in Egypt, 1961–1976 https://journals.openedition.org/remmm/12117?lang=en {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201034814/https://journals.openedition.org/remmm/12117?lang=en |date=1 February 2022 }}</ref>

After the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, also called the [[Six-Day War]], the Suez Canal was closed by an Egyptian blockade until 5 June 1975, and the residents of Port Said were evacuated by the Egyptian government to prepare for the [[Yom Kippur War]] (1973).
The city was re-inhabited after the war and the reopening of the Canal. In 1976, Port Said was declared a duty-free port, attracting people from all over Egypt. Now the population of the city is 794,720.<ref>Port Said Main Features https://www.portsaid.gov.eg/StaticContent/1 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241026034814/https://www.portsaid.gov.eg/StaticContent/1 |date=26 October 2024 }}</ref>

==Economy==

Port Said has been ranked the second among the Egyptian cities according to the [[Human Development Index]] in 2009 and 2010;<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rosaonline.net/Daily/News.asp?id=36636 |title=Consejos para la vida – |access-date=23 December 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002181958/http://www.rosaonline.net/Daily/News.asp?id=36636 |archive-date=2 October 2011}}</ref> the economic base of the city is fishing and industries, like [[chemicals]], [[ultra-processed food]], and cigarettes. Port Said is also an important harbour for exports of Egyptian products like cotton and rice, and additionally a fueling station for ships that pass through the Suez Canal. It thrives on being a [[duty-free]] port, as well as a tourist resort especially during summer.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.portsaid.gov.eg/tourism/default.aspx |title=الصفحة الرئيسية -السياحه |website=Portsaid.gov.eg |access-date=23 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224030634/http://www.portsaid.gov.eg/tourism/default.aspx |archive-date=24 December 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is home to the [[Lighthouse of Port Said]] (the first building in the world built from [[reinforced concrete]]).

Due to its excellent geographic location, Port Said is designed to attract logistics start ups along with import and export businesses.<ref>[https://www.listcompany.org/Port_Said_Near_Egypt.html Company List ›› List of Companies in Egypt ›› Companies in Port Said] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180204115730/http://www.listcompany.org/Port_Said_Near_Egypt.html |date=4 February 2018 }} ''www.listcompany.org'', accessed 10 April 2021</ref>

In 2019, the city witnessed the construction of the New Suez Canal, led by the Egyptian President [[Abdel Fattah el-Sisi]].

[[File:Ioppou.jpg|thumb|right]]

===East Port Said Industrial Zone===
{{main|East Port Said Industrial Zone}}
The government provides a number of incentives to investors in the scheme including zero tax and duties on tools, machines and raw materials related to the production of goods for export.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sczone.gov.eg/English/Pages/rules.aspx |title=Suez Canal Area Development Project – Rules and Regulations |website=www.sczone.gov.eg |access-date=14 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180614195005/http://www.sczone.gov.eg/English/Pages/rules.aspx |archive-date=14 June 2018 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Geography==

===Climate===
Port Said has a [[hot desert climate]] (BWh) according to [[Köppen climate classification]], but blowing winds from the [[Mediterranean Sea]] greatly moderates the temperatures, typical to the [[northern coast of Egypt]], making its summers moderately hot and humid while its winters mild and moderately [[precipitation (meteorology)|wet]] when [[Ice pellets|sleet]] and [[hail]] are also common, yet less common than in [[Alexandria#Climate|Alexandria]] because Port Said is drier. January and February are the coolest months while the hottest are July and August.

The highest record temperature was {{cvt|44|C}}, recorded on 20 June 1988, while the lowest record temperature was {{cvt|0|C}}, recorded on 25 December 1979.<ref name="Voodoo Skies">{{cite web |title=Port Said/El Gamil, Egypt |url=http://voodooskies.com/weather/egypt/port-saidel-gamil/monthly/temperature |publisher=Voodoo Skies |access-date=29 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424195727/http://voodooskies.com/weather/egypt/port-saidel-gamil/monthly/temperature |archive-date=24 April 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Port Said, [[al-Qusayr, Egypt#Climate|Kosseir]], [[Ras El Bar#Climate|Ras El Bar]], [[Baltim#Climate|Baltim]], [[Damietta#Climate|Damietta]] and Alexandria have the least temperature variation in [[climate of Egypt|Egypt]], additionally, [[Mersa Matruh#Climate|Mersa Matruh]] and Port Said have the coolest summer days of any other cities or resorts, although not significantly cooler than other northern coastal places.

{{Weather box
| location     = Port Said ([[Port Said Airport]]) 1991–2020
| metric first = yes
| single line  = yes
| Jan record high C = 29.7
| Feb record high C = 31.9
| Mar record high C = 34.6
| Apr record high C = 41.8
| May record high C = 45.0
| Jun record high C = 39.8
| Jul record high C = 36.4
| Aug record high C = 35.1
| Sep record high C = 35.6
| Oct record high C = 34.8
| Nov record high C = 33.9
| Dec record high C = 25.9
| Jan high C = 18.3
| Feb high C = 18.7
| Mar high C = 20.6
| Apr high C = 22.9
| May high C = 25.7
| Jun high C = 28.8
| Jul high C = 30.8
| Aug high C = 31.3
| Sep high C = 29.9
| Oct high C = 27.6
| Nov high C = 24.0
| Dec high C = 20.1
| year high C = 24.9
| Jan mean C = 14.7
| Feb mean C = 15.1
| Mar mean C = 16.9
| Apr mean C = 19.2
| May mean C = 22.3
| Jun mean C = 25.4
| Jul mean C = 27.3
| Aug mean C = 28.0
| Sep mean C = 26.9
| Oct mean C = 24.6
| Nov mean C = 20.8
| Dec mean C = 16.6
| year mean C = 21.5
| Jan low C = 11.6
| Feb low C = 12.1
| Mar low C = 14.1
| Apr low C = 16.4
| May low C = 19.6
| Jun low C = 22.7
| Jul low C = 24.6
| Aug low C = 25.3
| Sep low C = 24.3
| Oct low C = 22.1
| Nov low C = 18.2
| Dec low C = 13.6
| year low C = 18.7
| Jan record low C  = 4.2
| Feb record low C  = 6.2
| Mar record low C  = 5.0
| Apr record low C  = 9.1
| May record low C  = 12.0
| Jun record low C  = 17.7
| Jul record low C  = 20.2
| Aug record low C  = 20.2
| Sep record low C  = 19.5
| Oct record low C  = 14.4
| Nov record low C  = 2.2
| Dec record low C  = 6.6
| precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 16.3
| Feb precipitation mm = 12.0
| Mar precipitation mm = 10.6
| Apr precipitation mm = 3.8
| May precipitation mm = 1.5
| Jun precipitation mm = 0.1
| Jul precipitation mm = 0.0
| Aug precipitation mm = 0.0
| Sep precipitation mm = 0.0
| Oct precipitation mm = 4.3
| Nov precipitation mm = 4.8
| Dec precipitation mm = 7.8
| year precipitation mm = 61.4
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 3.2
| Feb precipitation days = 2.9
| Mar precipitation days = 1.6
| Apr precipitation days = 1.1
| May precipitation days = 0.3
| Jun precipitation days = 0.0
| Jul precipitation days = 0.0
| Aug precipitation days = 0.0
| Sep precipitation days = 0.0
| Oct precipitation days = 0.7
| Nov precipitation days = 1.2
| Dec precipitation days = 2.0
| year precipitation days = 13.0
| Jan humidity = 68
| Feb humidity = 66
| Mar humidity = 65
| Apr humidity = 64
| May humidity = 66
| Jun humidity = 67
| Jul humidity = 68
| Aug humidity = 68
| Sep humidity = 68
| Oct humidity = 65
| Nov humidity = 67
| Dec humidity = 69
| year humidity = 67
| Jan dew point C = 8.9
| Feb dew point C = 8.8
| Mar dew point C = 10.1
| Apr dew point C = 12.7
| May dew point C = 15.5
| Jun dew point C = 18.8
| Jul dew point C = 20.7
| Aug dew point C = 21.2
| Sep dew point C = 19.8
| Oct dew point C = 17.5
| Nov dew point C = 14.3
| Dec dew point C = 10.6
| year dew point C = 14.9
| Jan sun = 213.9
| Feb sun = 206.2
| Mar sun = 266.6
| Apr sun = 294.0
| May sun = 337.9
| Jun sun = 360.0
| Jul sun = 378.2
| Aug sun = 365.8
| Sep sun = 330.0
| Oct sun = 310.0
| Nov sun = 261.0
| Dec sun = 204.6
|year sun = 3528.2
| Jand sun = 6.9
| Febd sun = 7.3
| Mard sun = 8.6
| Aprd sun = 9.8
| Mayd sun = 10.9
| Jund sun = 12.0
| Juld sun = 12.2
| Augd sun = 11.8
| Sepd sun = 11.0
| Octd sun = 10.0
| Novd sun = 8.7
| Decd sun = 6.6
|yeard sun = 9.6

| source 1 = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|NOAA]] (humidity, dew point, records 1961–1990)<ref name=WMOCLINO>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231001043502/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Egypt/CSV/PortSaidElgamil_62332.csv
| archive-date = 1 October 2023
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-1-WMO-Normals-9120/Egypt/CSV/PortSaidElgamil_62332.csv
| title = Port Said Elgamil Normals 1991–2020
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 1 October 2023}}</ref><ref name= NOAA>{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/UB/62332.TXT |title=Port Said/El-Gamil Climate Normals 1961–1990 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220201034815/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG__I/UB/62332.TXT |archive-date=1 February 2022 |url-status=dead |access-date=25 January 2015 }}</ref>
|source 2 = Arab Meteorology Book (sun)<ref>
{{cite web |url=http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf |title=Appendix I: Meteorological Data |publisher=Springer| access-date = 25 October 2015| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072830/http://extras.springer.com/2007/978-1-4020-4577-6/Book_Shahin_ISBN_9781402045776_Appendix.pdf| archive-date = 4 March 2016| url-status = live }}
</ref>
}}

==Municipal divisions and demographics==
[[File:Port Said, Egypt.jpg|thumb|Streets of Port Said]]

Modern Port Said is divided into seven districts:<ref name=":0" />
* South District<!-- {{cvt|504,000|km2|sqmi}} NEEDS TO BE CITED -->
* Flowers Distric<!-- {{cvt|262,581|km2|sqmi}}-->
* El-Dawahi District:<!-- {{cvt|62,673|km2|sqmi}}-->
* East District<!-- {{cvt|5,017|km2|sqmi}}-->
* El-Manakh District<!-- {{cvt|3,312|km2|sqmi}}-->
* El-Arab District<!-- {{cvt|1,592|km2|sqmi}}-->
* West District<!--({{cvt|505,695|km2|sqmi|disp=s}})-->

Port Said's districts are further subdivided in to eight ''qism'' (police ward) which had a total estimated population as of January 2023 of 680,375 people:<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=1 January 2023 |title=Population estimates of the Arab Republic of Egypt by qism on 1/1/2023 |url=https://www.capmas.gov.eg/Admin/Pages%20Files/202331512347%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%AF%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%86%20%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89%20%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%89%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%B2%20%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%85%20%D9%81%D9%89%201%D9%80%201%D9%80%202023.pdf |website=Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!Anglicized name
!Native name
!Egyptian transliteration
!Population

<small>(January 2023 est.)</small>
!Type
|-
|El Dawahi
|{{lang|arz|الضواحى}}
|{{transliteration|arz|El-Ḍawāḥi}}
|148,624
|
|-
|El Arab
|{{lang|arz|العرب}}
|{{transliteration|arz|El-'Arab}}
|60,251
|
|-
|South
|{{lang|arz|الجنوب}}
|{{transliteration|arz|El-Ganūb}}
|41,901
|
|-
|South 2
|{{lang|arz|الجنوب تانى}}
|{{transliteration|ar|El-Ganūb 2}}
|38,273
|
|-
|El Manakh
|{{lang|arz|المناخ}}
|{{transliteration|arz|El-Manākh}}
|84,679
|
|-
|El Manasra
|{{lang|arz|المناصره}}
|{{transliteration|arz|El-Manāṣrah}}
|5,587
|
|-
|East
|{{lang|arz|شرق}}
|{{transliteration|arz|Sharq}}
|34,679
|
|-
|Flowers
|{{lang|arz|الزهور}}
|{{transliteration|arz|El-Zuhūr}}
|266,381
|
|}

===Squares===
*Manshiyya square, in East district
*Martyrs square, in East district
*Governorate Square, in East district
*Stadium square, in El-Manakh district
*[[Volgograd]] square, in El-Manakh district
*[[Bizerte]] square, in Flowers district
*Flowers square, in Flowers district
*Liberty square, in [[Port Fouad]] city

===Recreational===
*Ferial garden
*Liberty garden
*Montaza garden
*Hope garden
*El-Farma garden
*Liberty garden
*[[Saad Zaghloul]] garden
*Restaurants complex

==Education==

===Colleges and universities===
Port Said has a number of higher education institutions. [[Port Said University]] is a public university that follows the Egyptian system of higher education. The most notable faculties of the university are the faculty of engineering and the faculty of science. In addition, the [[Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport]] is a semi-private educational institution that offers courses for high school, undergraduate level students, postgraduate.

[[Sadat Academy for Management Sciences]] is an Egyptian Public Academy under the authorization of the Ministry of higher education.

===Schools===
Port Said contains about 349 schools in all different educational stages between governmental, experimental, private language schools beside French historical schools.

==Transport==
===Port===
{{Suez Canal map}}
The port of Port Said is the [[list of world's busiest container ports|28th-busiest]] [[seaport]] for [[containerization|container]] transport, the second-busiest in the [[Arab world]] (narrowly behind the port of [[Salalah]] in Oman), and the busiest container seaport in Egypt, with 3,470,000 [[Twenty-foot equivalent unit|TEU]] transported in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hafen-hamburg.de/en/content/container-port-throughput-global-comparison |title=Welcome to the Port of Hamburg |website=Hafen-hamburg.de |access-date=23 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150426063810/http://www.hafen-hamburg.de/en/content/container-port-throughput-global-comparison |archive-date=26 April 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> The port is part of the [[Maritime Silk Road]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/newsrepublic/2017-05/16/content_29374094.htm |title=A maritime Silk Road to peaceful seas |access-date=22 January 2021 |archive-date=29 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129160523/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/newsrepublic/2017-05/16/content_29374094.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/china-mediterranean-silk-road/ |title=China's Maritime Silk Road Initiative |date=22 July 2018 |access-date=22 January 2021 |archive-date=29 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129233212/https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/china-mediterranean-silk-road/ |url-status=live }}</ref> It is divided into:
*Port Said Port
*East Port Said Port

The port is bordered, seaward, by an imaginary line from the western breakwater boundary till the eastern breakwater end. And from the Suez Canal area, it is bordered by an imaginary line extending transversely from the southern bank of the Canal connected to Manzala Lake, and the railways arcade livestock.

====Navigation channels====
; Main channel
*Length: {{cvt|8|km|mi|0}}
*Depth: {{cvt|13.72|m|ft|2}}

; East verge channel
*Length: {{cvt|19.5|km|mi|0}}
*Depth: {{cvt|18.29|m|ft|2}}

====Approach area====
[[File:PortSaid Canal 1880.jpg|thumb|right|Port Said Canal in 1880]]

Two breakwaters protect the port entrance channel: the western breakwater is about {{cvt|3.5|mi|km|1}} long, and the eastern breakwater is approximately {{cvt|1.5|mi|km|1}}.

====Dwelling area====
The Suez Canal Dwelling Area is situated between latitudes 31° 21' N and 31° 25' N and longitudes 32° 16.2°' E and 32° 20.6' E. where vessels awaiting to accede Port Said port stay whether to join the North convoy to transit the Suez Canal to carry out stevedoring operations or to be supplied with provisions and bunkers. The dwelling area is divided into two sections:
The Northern Area is allocated for vessels with deep drafts. The Southern Area is for all vessel types.

===Airports===
Port Said is served by [[Port Said Airport]] located about {{cvt|6|km|mi}} away from city centre.

The airport was reopened in February 2011 after being modernised to be fit for international flights.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/738/Business/Economy/Port-Said-Airport-to-be-inaugurated-in-February.aspx |title=Port Said Airport to be inaugurated in February |website=English.ahram.org.eg |access-date=16 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701191129/http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/3/12/738/Business/Economy/Port-Said-Airport-to-be-inaugurated-in-February.aspx |archive-date=1 July 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref> Scheduled flights from the airport ceased in 1996.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anna.aero/2011/08/03/egyptair-launches-new-route-to-port-said-from-cairo/ |title=Egyptair launches new route to Port Said from Cairo |date=3 August 2011 |website=Anna.aero |access-date=23 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224033626/http://www.anna.aero/2011/08/03/egyptair-launches-new-route-to-port-said-from-cairo/ |archive-date=24 December 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Motor highways===
There are three main highways that connect Port Said to other cities in Egypt:
*International Coastal Road – a {{cvt|257|km|mi}} east–west highway that connects Port Said to [[Alexandria]] along the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean coast]].
*Desert Road – a {{cvt|215|km|mi}} north–south route via Al Ismaileya – Port Saeed and Masr – Al Ismaileya Desert Road from Port Said to [[Cairo]].
*International Coastal Road – a {{cvt|53|km|mi}} east–west highway from Port Said – [[Damietta]].

===Train===
The [[Port Said railway station]] is on Mustafa Kamal Street and was built around 1893 when the [[Egyptian National Railways|Egyptian Railway Authority]] extended service in the region.<ref name="myportsaid.info"/>

There are frequent train services from Cairo, Alexandria and other main Egyptian cities to Port Said. The travel time between Cairo and Port Said is about four hours while the Alexandria – Port Said route can be covered in about six hours. Intercity passenger service is operated by [[Egyptian National Railways]]. Tickets can be reserved online using the Egyptian National Railways website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.portsaid-shoreexcursions.com/port-said-transportation |title=Transportation in Port Said |access-date=19 January 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101119025302/http://www.portsaid-shoreexcursions.com/port-said-transportation |archive-date=19 November 2010}}</ref>

===Ferry===
[[File:Faehre Port Said.jpg|thumb|right|Ferry on its way to Port Fouad]]

Port Said is linked by ferry to its twin city [[Port Fouad]] which is considered the Asian part of this Afro-Asian governorate "Port Said" on the eastern bank of the Suez Canal, the ferry is used to cross the canal between the two cities, holding both people and cars as well (for free).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Richardson |first1=Dan |title=Egypt |date=2003 |publisher=Rough Guides |isbn=9781843530503 |page=671 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uL86PAq-eHMC |language=en |access-date=13 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180613160548/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uL86PAq-eHMC |archive-date=13 June 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> The time between the two cities across the canal by using the ferry does not exceed 10 minutes.

===Other means of public transport===
Public buses are operated by Port Said Governorate's Agency for Public Passenger Transport. Private Transport also are available referred to as Micro Buses (14 seat [[minibus]]). White and blue [[saloon car]] [[taxicabs]] are comfortable, asking reasonable prices. Earlier [[trolleybus]]es existed in city.

==Culture==

===Libraries===

The Port Said Library at the time of its inauguration reached about 14,000 books and was supplied by encyclopedias and modern references.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mpl.org.eg/arabic/history-intro.htm |title=history-intro |quote=President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak officially inaugurated the Library on Monday, March 21, 1995... |access-date=5 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111219154207/http://www.mpl.org.eg/arabic/history-intro.htm |archive-date=19 December 2011}}</ref>

===Theaters===
Port Said has about 11 theatres.<ref>[http://www.portsaid.gov.eg/tourism/service/cenima/default.aspx] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919122242/http://www.portsaid.gov.eg/tourism/service/cenima/default.aspx|date=19 September 2018}}</ref>
*[[Port Said Opera House]] was inaugurated on 28 December 2016; here Arabic music, classical music, opera and ballet are performed.

===Museums===
*Port Said National Museum is located on Palestine Street in front of the tourist jetty, near the centre of the city. It contains about 9,000 artifacts that narrate the story of Port Said and [[Egypt]].
*Port Said Military Museum was inaugurated in 1964. It is located in 23 July Street. It narrates the story of the Egyptian resistance in Port Said for the tripartite aggression during the [[Suez Crisis]] in 1956, and the wars of 1967 and 1973. It also contains a hall that narrates the genesis of the city and the Suez Canal.
*[[Museum of Modern Art in Egypt]] is a modern and contemporary art museum, located in Shohada Square, in Port Said, beneath the [[Port Said Martyrs Memorial|Obelisk of Martyrs]].
*Museum of the Authority of the Suez Canal was inaugurated in August 2015. It narrates the story of the [[Suez Canal]] since its establishment.

=== Parks ===
Port Said has 23 parks, which include the Ferial Park (21,904 square meters), the Farma Park (12,469 square meters), the Khazanat Park (2,000 square meters), and the Aldawlia Park (8 [[Hectare|hektars]]).<ref>[http://portsaid.gov.eg/tourism/sits/garden/Gardens.aspx] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308142635/http://www.portsaid.gov.eg/tourism/sits/garden/Gardens.aspx|date=8 March 2018}}</ref>

===Sports ===
[[File:ستاد النادي المصري.jpg|thumb|[[Al Masry Club Stadium]]]]

The main sport that interests Port Saidis is [[Association football|football]], as is the case in the rest of Egypt and Africa, and Port Saidis are known for their enthusiasm in supporting the local team [[Al Masry SC]].

[[Al Masry Club Stadium]] is a [[multi-purpose stadium]] in Port Said. Built in 1954, it currently seats 17,988 and is used mostly for football matches, including the [[1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship]], [[2006 Africa Cup of Nations|2006 African Cup of Nations]], and [[2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.almasryclub.com/topic.php?post=134 |title=Official Website :: Al Masry Sporting Club :: الموقع الرسمي للنادي المصري للألعاب الرياضية :: تأسس عام 1920 ::استاد المصرى |website=Almasryclub.com |access-date=23 December 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140204073356/http://www.almasryclub.com/topic.php?post=134 |archive-date=4 February 2014}}</ref> The 2012 [[Port Said Stadium riot]] took place there.

The second most popular sport in Port Said is [[handball]]. The city is known for their local handball team [[Port Said SC]] that won three [[Egyptian Handball League]] titles and also was the champion of the [[African Handball Champions League]] in 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.cahbonline.info/palmares_club_champions.php|url-status=live|title= List of the winners of the African Handball Champions League|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111028044157/http://www.cahbonline.info/palmares_club_champions.php |archive-date=28 October 2011 }}</ref>

[[Port Said Hall]] is an indoor hall located in the [[Sports City in Port Said]]. It hosts competitions of handball, basketball, and volleyball, and was used for the [[1999 World Men's Handball Championship]]. It holds 5000 people.

[[Field hockey|Hockey]], swimming, and other sports are also practiced on a lower scale.

=== Language ===
Among speakers of [[Egyptian Arabic]], the Port Saidi accent is unique.

===Tourism===
[[File:Port Said, Egypt, Mediterranean Sea 2.jpg|thumb|Beach of the Mediterranean Sea in Port Said|left]]
[[File:PortSaidEgypt byDanielCsorfoly.JPG|thumb|Headquarters of Suez Canal Authority in Port Said]]

Port Said is a main summer resort and [[Tourism in Egypt|tourist attraction]], due to its public and private beaches, cosmopolitan heritage, museums, and [[duty-free]] port, beside the other landmarks like [[Port Said Lighthouse]], [[Port Said Martyrs Memorial]] that has the shape of the [[Pharaonic]] ancient [[obelisks]], and the building of the [[Suez Canal Authority]] headquarters in Port Said. Also, [[Tennis, Egypt|Tennis]] island situated in lake Manzaleh is a destination that attracts tourists to enjoy visiting this ancient Islamic city which was demolished during the [[crusades]].

Ashtoum el-Gamil is a [[Nature reserve|protectorate]] which is located 7&nbsp;km west of Port Said on the Port Said-Damietta coastal road. It is also where Lake Manzalah connects with the Mediterranean Sea. (In front of the mouth of the Lake is Tanees Island. The entire area is a very important place for birds.) Its area is 180&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> and was established in 1988. Its main objective is to conserve the migratory birds. It is managed by the [[Ministry of Environment (Egypt)|Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency]] .<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.touregypt.net/parks/Ashtum.htm#ixzz3lYzEXZvw |title=Ashtum El Gamil Protected Area of Egypt |website=Touregypt.net |access-date=16 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017042955/http://www.touregypt.net/parks/Ashtum.htm#ixzz3lYzEXZvw |archive-date=17 October 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Nearby to El Gameel area, there will be a real estate mixed use project named Downtown Portsaid. The project will cater to both residents and tourists as well as investors in the area, and is anticipated to be an attraction hotspot.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Downtown Port Said – Waterway – Port Said – Egypt |url=https://www.cooingestate.com/compound/266-downtown-port-said-waterway |access-date=28 April 2021 |website=www.cooingestate.com |language=en |archive-date=28 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428041601/https://www.cooingestate.com/compound/266-downtown-port-said-waterway |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Notable people==
*[[Abdulrahman Fawzi]], former Egyptian player in [[Al Masry SC|Al Masry]] and [[Zamalek SC]], participated in the [[1934 FIFA World Cup]]
*[[Abdel Rahman Shokry]], Egyptian poet
*[[Amr Diab]], Egyptian singer and composer and best-selling Arab recording artist
*[[El-Sayed El-Dhizui]], former Egyptian player in [[Al Masry SC|Al Masry]] and one of the top scorers in the [[Egyptian Premier League]]
*[[Ahmed El Shenawy]], Egyptian football player
*[[George Isaac (politician)|George Isaac]], Egyptian activist
*[[Hans Dijkstal]], Dutch politician, former Deputy Prime Minister
*[[Hoda Al-Ajimi]], radio presenter
*[[Ibrahim El Batout]], Egyptian director
*[[Kamal Darwish]], former president of [[Zamalek SC]]
*[[Mohamed Atalla]], engineer, inventor of [[MOS transistor]], founder of [[Atalla Corporation]]
*[[Mohamed Shawky]], professional football player with [[Al Ahly SC|Al Ahly]]
*[[Mohamed Zidan]], professional football player with [[Borussia Dortmund]]
*[[Mosaad Nour]], former Egyptian player in [[Al Masry SC]] "the historic star of the team")
*[[Mahmoud Yassin]], Egyptian actor
*[[Soheir Ramzi]], Egyptian actress
*[[Yves F. Barbaza]], born in Port Said, French [[World war]] I flying ace, credited with five aerial victories

== Twin towns and sister cities ==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Egypt}}

Port Said is [[sister city|twinned]] with:
*[[Volgograd]], Russia (1962)
*[[Bizerte]], [[Tunisia]] (1977)

==See also==
{{Portal|Egypt}}
* [[Closure of the Suez Canal (1956–1957)]]
* [[Closure of the Suez Canal (1967–1975)]]
* [[Container transport]]
* [[Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia]]
* [[List of cities and towns in Egypt]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*[[Helen Chapin Metz]], ''[http://countrystudies.us/egypt/57.htm Egypt: A Country Study. Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1990.]'', Helen Chapin Metz, ed.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Port Said}}
{{Wikivoyage|Port Said}}
{{EB1911 poster|Port Said}}
* [http://www.portsaid.gov.eg/ Port Said Governorate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121206122007/http://portsaid.gov.eg/ |date=6 December 2012 }} official website {{in lang|en|ar}}
* [http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/LastPage.aspx?Category_ID=457 Egypt state information service – Port Said] {{in lang|en}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20111129202447/http://www.myportsaid.info/ History of Port Said (1859–1939)]}} {{in lang|en}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070430184358/http://www.psdports.org/ Port Said Port Authority]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080724015637/http://www.fzportsaid.com/ Port Said's Free-zone]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090430143145/http://www.portsaidhistory.com/ Port Said history]
* [http://www.portsaid-online.com/ Port Said Online] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121228214230/http://www.portsaid-online.com/ |date=28 December 2012 }} {{in lang|ar}}

{{Governorates capital of Egypt}}
{{Egyptian Cities}}
{{Suez Canal}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Port Said| ]]
[[Category:1859 establishments in Africa]]
[[Category:1859 establishments in Egypt]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Egypt]]
[[Category:Cities in Egypt]]
[[Category:East Port Said Industrial Zone]]
[[Category:Free ports]]
[[Category:Governorate capitals in Egypt]]
[[Category:Mediterranean port cities and towns in Egypt]]
[[Category:Metropolitan areas of Egypt]]
[[Category:Nile Delta]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Egypt]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1859]]
[[Category:Populated places in Port Said Governorate]]
[[Category:Suez Canal]]
[[Category:Transcontinental cities]]