Suez

Suez, Arabic Al-Suways, port at the head of the Gulf of Suez and at the southern terminal of the Suez Canal, northern Egypt. Together with its two harbours, Port Ibrāhīm and Port Tawfīq (Tewfik), and a large portion of the Eastern Desert, Suez constitutes the urban muḥāfaẓah (governorate) of Al-Suways.

An ancient trading site, Suez was the location of the Greek town of Clysma, which became the Muslim Qulzum in the 7th century ce. After the Ottoman conquest Suez developed as a naval station, and during Ottoman rule Suez was a major port for trade with Arabia, Yemen, and India. The port later declined until the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869.

Modern Suez remains a naval and trade centre, linked to Cairo (80 miles [130 km] west) by road and rail. Mainly a transit port, it has petroleum refineries (connected to Cairo by pipeline), canal workshops, and an artificial-fertilizer plant. Suez is also a departure point for the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca). The closing of the canal after the June (Six-Day) War of 1967 and the Israeli assault on the city during the October (Yom Kippur) War in 1973 dealt a severe blow to its economy. With the reopening of the canal in 1975 and the resettlement of refugees, the city returned to prosperity. It became a tax-free industrial zone in 1975 and now has textile and pharmaceutical plants. Area governorate, 6,888 square miles (17,840 square km). Pop. (2006) governorate, 512,135.