Egyptian authorities have officially begun renovation of Suez Canal House a building with historical significance which is located at Port Said in the northeastern region of Egypt, at the northern end of the Suez Canal.
The structure served as the administrative building for the Suez Canal Authority which has so far moved so as to give the project contractor, Arab Contractors Company, space to carry out the renovation work.
The over US$ 3.7M renovation of Suez Canal House project will be supervised by the Port Said Archeological area led by its director Mr. Tarek Ibrahim since the building is registered as a monument.
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Mr. Ibrahim said that they have already obtained the original engineering blueprint for the building from France. The plans will be used to guide the restoration works include the treatment of a crack in the northern dome.
The building history
The Suez Canal House is specifically located on an area of approximately 2,230 meters surrounded by canal waters from the north, south, and east. It was designed by a French architect and constructed by the Edmond Coignet concrete blocks company in the 1890s during the reign of Khedive Abbas Helmy II.
The three-story main building with a basement is built in the shape of an Islamic style palace. This is evident by the three green domes covered in faience that rise above the building and the interior decoration of the ceilings, walls, the lanterns as well as decorations of the windows from the inside.
According to the Port Said Archeological area director, the building has an attached rest house which was used to accommodate important visitors during the rule of Khedive Abbas Helmy II, for example, the King of England George V.
The building was also used by the commander of the British forces participating in the tripartite aggression against Port Said back in 1956.
