The canal's lighthouse
Built for its opening.
Hatem Moushir — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mohamed kamal 1984 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Michael Tyler — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Sasoabdou — CC BY-SA 3.0 · image by unknown photographer - scanned, cleaned and optimized by Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) — Public domain · WP - The Illustrated London News — Public domain
A historic octagonal lighthouse in central Port Said, completed in 1869 a week before the Suez Canal opened, on the orders of Khedive Ismail, to guide ships to the canal's entrance. It stands about fifty-six metres high, was designed by the French engineer François Coignet, and was one of the first buildings in the world made of reinforced concrete, because stone quarries were far from the city. It is known for its orange-yellow colour and upper gallery. The lighthouse stood on the seashore when it was built, but the town spread and land was reclaimed around it over the years, so today it rises in the middle of a residential district some way from the water; it has long been out of service and has become a symbol of the city and its heritage. Viewing from outside is free, and it is not usually open to climb. It is a few minutes' walk from the Suez Canal Authority Building and the waterfront.
Built for its opening.
An orange octagon.
Port Said heritage.
Al-Sharq district, near the Suez Canal entrance, Port Said
It stood on the shore when built in 1869; land was reclaimed and the town grew around it, leaving it inside a residential district today.
