Suez << soo EHZ >> (pop. 649,641) is an Egyptian city at the southern entrance to the Suez Canal. The city lies on the Gulf of Suez.
Suez has been an important seaport since ancient times. Beginning in the A.D. 600’s, it was a stopping point for Muslim pilgrims on their way to the holy city of Mecca, in what is now Saudi Arabia. In 1869, the opening of the Suez Canal made Suez an especially significant port. Industrialization of the city soon followed, and oil refining and fertilizer production became major industries.
Suez was heavily damaged during the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973. The wars hit the city’s industries particularly hard. The 1967 war also forced the closing of the Suez Canal, which sharply reduced the importance of Suez as a port. The canal was reopened in 1975. Since then, increased revenue from canal tolls and the construction of new factories and oil refineries have helped Suez regain its former importance.
