Corniche

Not to be confused with Cornice.

For other uses, see Corniche (disambiguation).

Storm King Mountain, as seen from across the Hudson River. A corniche carrying NY State Rte 218 is visible on the left.

This corniche, known as the Hawk's Nest carries NY Route 97 above the Delaware River.

The word corniche typically refers to a road on the side of a cliff or mountain, with the ground rising on one side of the road and falling away on the other. The word comes from the French route à corniche or road on a ledge — which is different from cornice, which comes from Italian.

Arabic language usage

Corniche in the Arabic language generally refers to a headland formed at land's end, which describes a most remote geographical border of a mainland by a water line, with a natural corner, usually, or a cliff.

Common usage in the Middle East

In Middle East countries, including Lebanon, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the word typically describes a waterfront promenade usually paralleled by a main road, such as the renowned Corniche Beirut and the Doha Corniche.

Doha Corniche

In Cairo, the Corniche ("كورنيش" IPA: [koɾˈneːʃ]) — the French word borrowed into Arabic — runs alongside the River Nile. Luxor, Aswan, Maadi, and Cairo all have such corniches. However, Alexandria's Corniche forms a notable exception: it runs along the harbour. In the Gulf States, the corniche often runs along the coast.

See also

• Jeddah Corniche
• Corniche Beirut
• Shanghai corniche
• Al Ain Corniche
• Doha Corniche