The Suez National Museum documents the city's role as a strategic crossroads, covering the history of the canal zone from the ancient Pharaonic period through the 1973 October War. The collection includes artefacts from the ancient city of Clysma (the Roman predecessor of Suez at the same location), documents and photographs from the canal's construction, and materials relating to the three major conflicts — the 1956 Suez Crisis, the 1967 war, and the 1973 war — that define the city's modern identity.
The 1973 displays are particularly striking. Suez was partially captured by Israeli forces in the last days of the conflict and was the scene of bitter street fighting before the ceasefire. The city was essentially destroyed and had to be rebuilt from the ground up in the late 1970s. The museum treats this recent history with directness.