More Than a Gateway: The History and Heritage of Port Said
Kenzy Fahmy
Few cities in Egypt can boast the special charm that Port Said possesses. Its unique architecture, found nowhere else in the world, and its serendipitous geographic location make it one-of-a-kind. Even though it’s laughably young compared to some of Egypt’s other towns and cities, the famous port town holds more stories than could possibly be told in one lifetime.
Named after Khedive Mohamed Said Pacha, the small port town was one of the most important stops along international sea trade routes, serving as the gateway to the Suez Canal, and for a long time was a flourishing city with a community as diverse as that of Alexandria. By the late-1800s, more than half of the city’s 15,000 residents were Europeans
Before 1859, the land where Port Said now stands was nothing more than a thin strip of sand. Within ten years, the town had a population of ten thousand. What triggered the need for a brand new city, in this very particular location, was the construction of what would become one of Egypt’s most prized assets, the Suez Canal.
The construction of the Canal brought in only laborers at first, its early population consisting of 150 workers who camped out on the empty plot of land. But the population very quickly grew and districts, European and Arab, had begun to form. French construction firms were hired by the Suez Canal Company to help establish the new city, from housing for the workers and offices for the company itself to the city’s wharf, Port Said was built from the ground up and it was a rapid rise. By the late 19th century, the port was home to workers, contractors and merchants from all over Europe.
It was around this time that the iconic wooden verandas of Port Said started to pop up. While the building method and design had been used for at least a hundred years in places like the American south, Pondicherry, and other ex-colonies, nowhere else will you find verandas that reach three or four stories high; at the time land was scarce and there was a need to build higher.
The verandas were eventually to be banned around four decades later, but the city is still full of them, and they remain an important part of its heritage. Thankfully, there are people and groups who are working hard to preserve these beautiful fragments of Port Said’s former glory.
Port Said didn’t even reach its true prime until the early-20th century, when a new railway was built connecting the town to Cairo and when Egypt began exporting its cotton through Port Said. The population more than quadrupled in a span of around 20 years, attracting an even more diverse community, as well as writers and travelers from all four corners of the globe. At a time when ships were the only way of crossing oceans and seas, the Suez Canal was an essential route and Port Said was a vibrant, and chaotic, hub for all. You could not move around the world without passing through.
And it continued to flourish, right through the British occupation, the ensuing Egyptian independence and the First World War. But the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 and the resulting conflict with the British ended in the Suez Crisis and the invasion of Egypt by Britain, France and Israel. Port Said was to serve as the battleground, and this wouldn’t be the last time.
The Arab-Israeli wars that took place in the 60s and 70s left their own scars on the city, both physically and mentally. For several years after the 6 October War the town was uninhabited, evacuated during the war in order to protect it residents.
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The city was quick to be revived though in 1976, after it was declared a duty-free port. Egyptians suddenly began flocking to Port Said again, not only those looking to start a new business, or a new life, but also families who would go to shop and spend a day enjoying the beautiful coastal town; local tourism received a welcome boost.
Today, Port Said is witnessing another revival, a quieter one, but perhaps a more important one. People are starting to pay attention to the vast amount of history the town is home to, and people are starting to notice that Port Said is full of heritage waiting to be uncovered, as well as heritage in need of protection. Egyptians and tourists alike are starting once again to visit the historic port city, but this time with a new lens, and a new sense of appreciation for the wealth of treasures it has to offer.