Gezicht op een straat met gebouwen in Port Said c. 1870 - 1890

This photograph of a street in Port Said was taken by C. & G. Zangaki, though we don’t know exactly when. It captures the rapidly changing urban landscape of a city that was shaped by the construction of the Suez Canal. As a port city at the northern end of the canal, Port Said became a melting pot of cultures and a hub for international trade. The buildings, with their mix of European and Middle Eastern architectural styles, reflect this cultural fusion. We can consider the urban planning evident in the photograph, particularly the design of the streets and buildings, as a commentary on the social structures of the time, revealing the influence of European colonial powers and the city's role in facilitating global commerce. The Zangaki brothers, of Greek and Egyptian heritage, produced a huge number of photographs that catered to the booming tourist industry in Egypt at the time. To fully understand this photograph, we might consult a variety of sources: historical maps, accounts from travellers, and records from the archives of the Suez Canal Company.