“Port Tawfik Promenade” … When memories return to walking along the banks of the Suez Canal
After more than 13 years of absence, the “Port Tawfik Promenade” returns to Suez to welcome its visitors, carrying with it the fragrance of history and memories that die.In an area no larger than 1.3 kilometers, stories of love, loss, and victory intersect, and the people of Suez breathe again the breeze of the canal and the spirit of the city. The reopening was not just an urban event, but an exceptional emotional moment connecting the past with the present.
Port Tawfik Promenade: From Closure to Return
In the heart of Suez, within sight of the historic Port Tawfik, Major General Tarek El-Shazly, Governor of Suez, inaugurated the historic promenade after its redevelopment, in the presence of Dr. Mostafa Madbouly, Prime Minister, and a number of ministers and officials. The return of the promenade was not just an urban development project, but a restoration of the memory of an entire city.
The promenade stretches from the Badr Mosque to the historical monument at its end, with a length of 1.3 kilometers, and overlooks the Suez Canal shipping lane. The site is an ideal spot to watch giant ships pass by silently, as if sharing the memories of passersby on the banks.
The development work was carried out under the supervision of the Suez Canal Authority, in cooperation with a number of companies specializing in the restoration of historical sites and the coordination of open spaces.
Services and organization… with visitors in mind
From the moment you enter Port Tawfik Promenade, you feel life returning: separate gates for cars and pedestrians, modern inspection rooms, trained security personnel, and information signs recounting the history of the place.
This security and organizational system reflects the determination of those in charge of transforming the place from a mere passageway into a complete experience.
The most prominent feature of the promenade is the Indian memorial, which commemorates the Indian soldiers who fell in World War I. Two statues of Bengal tigers stand facing each other, one overlooking the Suez Canal and the other overlooking the port.
The monument attracts visitors, especially since its restoration as part of the recent development. Restoration teams have carefully cleaned and repaired the monument to preserve its historical value.
Mohamed Kamel: a man returns to restore memories
Amidst the beauty and restoration, there were those who saw the promenade as more than just an open-air space, but rather a mirror of their lives. Mohamed Kamel, a 70-year-old interior designer and visual artist, did not visit the promenade like any other visitor.
He had been visiting the place since childhood and kept a rare photo of himself at the age of four in his father’s arms on one of the promenade’s benches.
Years passed, and in 1984, he decided to propose to his wife there, close to the canal. From that day on, the promenade became his weekly ritual on Fridays, accompanied by his sons and wife. This habit continued until the promenade closed in July 2011. From the moment it closed, the place remained in his heart. It was as if a beloved home had suddenly closed its doors.
The decision to return… between the heart and the eyes
When he heard the news of the reopening, Mohamed Kamel felt very hesitant. For him, the promenade was not just a geographical space, but a complete memory, and he was afraid to visit the place without his lifelong companion, who had passed away five and a half years earlier. But he overcame his feelings and went. As soon as he entered, he noticed that the memorial’s plaque of honor had been vandalized. He couldn’t bear the sight. The next day, he returned with repair tools and fixed the plaque himself, as if rearranging his memories and removing the cracks. He smiled at his son and said, “I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist.”
That simple yet profound sentence was enough to redefine the promenade in the eyes of everyone who heard the story.
The incident impressed the audience and the authorities, and the governorate of Suez honored him in a symbolic ceremony after his photo of him repairing the plaque with his own hands was shared on social media.
The promenade of memories… between spirit and place
For Mohamed Kamel, the Port Tawfik promenade is not just a place overlooking the Suez Canal, but a living strip of his entire life. He says: “Since the announcement of the reopening of Port Tawfiq, I feel like a little kid, not knowing how to go there. I am filled with memories, between my joy and my fear of being alone without her.”
Like Mohamed, many of the people of Suez have lived similar stories, engraved in the corners of the promenade. Love, loss, family reunions, holidays, and even scenes of farewells to migrants at the port. One of the elderly people who attended the opening said: “The smell of the sea has returned, and with it the smell of our youth, as if time has turned back a little.”
Testimonies from the heart of memory: Hisham Samir recounts
Hisham Samir, a native of the city, says that the Port Tawfiq promenade was the beating heart of the people of Suez, especially on Fridays after prayers. Families would flock there, children would run around, adults would chat, and human bonds would grow stronger.
Hisham remembers the opening of the Badr Mosque in the 1980s, when Sheikh Muhammad Metwalli al-Shaarawi attended and recited prayers amid crowds of townspeople. He describes it as a timeless spiritual moment that remains etched in his memory. He adds: “The beautiful thing is that they preserved the spirit of the place… They didn’t destroy the old features, but made them even more beautiful.”
For him, Port Tawfik is not just a park, but a living record of life, a collective memory that is renewed with every breath of sea air that passes through the place.
Development… a new spirit for an authentic place
The Suez Canal Authority undertook the development of the promenade in just 60 days, with the participation of a number of local companies specializing in the restoration of historical sites and landscaping, such as the Arab Contractors Company and the Misr Foundation Company. The development work included the maintenance of the memorials, paving the floors, redesigning the green spaces, and upgrading the services.
Shaded seating areas and tiered night lighting were added to highlight the beauty of the architecture, along with bike paths and walkways for people with disabilities. The result was beyond expectations: a comprehensive promenade that respects the spirit of the place without losing its authenticity.
Today, the promenade is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., free of charge, allowing people to enjoy the view, the place, and their memories without restrictions.
Port Tawfik Promenade… where memories walk beside you
Today, Port Tawfik Promenade is not just a development project, but an implicit declaration that the city respects its memory and values what places mean to its people. Mohamed Kamel holding welding tools to repair the monument, or Hisham Samir standing contemplating the place where his family used to gather, are proof that the promenade has returned to its people and to the stories waiting to be told.
Port Tawfik is not just a promenade on the banks of the Suez Canal, it is a heart that beats with the stories of the people… a place that has preserved them, and they have preserved it, generation after generation.
Today, people walk there, not just for the air or the sea, but to reclaim a part of themselves, of the city, of their memory.
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