Seaport city (pop., 1996 est.: 470,000), northeastern Egypt.
It is on the Mediterranean Sea at the northern end of the Suez Canal . Founded in 1859 on a narrow, sandy strip separating the Mediterranean from Lake Manzilah, it became the world's most important coaling station. It was the landing point of French and British troops during the Suez Crisis (1956) that followed Egypt's nationalization of the Suez Canal. In the Six-Day War of 1967, Israeli forces occupied the eastern bank of the canal, which was closed until 1975. The city was revitalized after 1975, and its industries include textiles, clothing, cosmetics, and glass.