The word corniche is typically used to describe 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.

In Egypt, the word is typically used to describe a waterfront promenade, usually parallelled by a main road. In most places, the Corniche ("كورنيش" in Arabic; this is the same word transliterated into Arabic script) runs alongside the River Nile. Luxor, Aswan, Maadi, and Cairo all have such corniches. However, a notable exception is the Corniche in Alexandria, which runs along the harbour. In the Gulf States, the Corniche runs along the coast.

The word itself comes from the French route à corniche or road on a ledge, and should not be confused with cornice which is taken from Italian.

Corniche