Overview:

The Suez Canal in Egypt is a man-made sea-level waterway in Egypt, linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. It was constructed by French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps between 1859 and 1869 and originally operated by the Suez Canal Company. The canal, spanning a distance of about 193.3 km, significantly shortens the nautical distance between the North Atlantic and Indian Oceans, simplifying the journey for ships traveling between the two. It is one of the most heavily used waterways in the world and is extremely important to the global economy, carrying around 11% of all maritime commerce worldwide annually. It is one of the most beautiful monuments in Egypt
Prominent Features:

1. The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea, most notably between Port Said and Suez on the northern end, and Port Tawfiq and Suez at its southern end. 2. The canal is 101 miles long, 8 miles wide at its narrowest point, and depths range from 32-79 feet. 3. It is one of the world’s most heavily used shipping routes, carrying 8-10% of global trade and is crossed by an estimated 50,000 vessels each year. 4. It is an essential international trade route, linking Europe, Africa and Asia, generating important revenue for Egypt through tolls, making it the country’s largest source of foreign income. 5. The Suez Canal offers the shortest sea link between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, significantly reducing transit times for vessels travelling between these two regions. 6. The canal is a major source of competition among Asian, Arab and European powers, and a potential source of tension between Egypt and her neighbors. You can learn history, culture, and heritage through these magnificent monuments in Egypt.

History:

The history of the Suez Canal in Egypt began in the early 19th century when the French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps initiated the project to join the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The idea of building a canal in Egypt had been considered for many centuries but it was de Lesseps who made it a reality. After several years of construction and overcoming numerous obstacles and problems, the canal was finally finished by the British in 1869. The Suez Canal provided a much quicker and safer route for ships travelling between Europe and Asia, reducing the distance that had to be travelled by over 3000 miles and cutting travel time by a week. This had huge economic implications and made it possible for goods from Europe to be transported to Asia more quickly and cheaply. The canal was seen as a great example of human engineering but also had political implications. It was under the control of Ismail, the ruler of Egypt and the Canal was seen as a symbol of Egypt’s power and influence in the world. In 1956, the Suez Crisis occurred when Egypt’s President Nasser nationalised the canal, which resulted in an invasion from Britain, France and Israel. This was eventually resolved by the involvement of the United Nations and the Suez Canal was placed under international control. The Suez Canal is still an important part of the economy of Egypt and continues to be used by ships travelling between Europe, Asia and Africa. Visit one of the famous monuments of Egypt with your friends and family.

Interesting facts:

1. The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most important shipping lanes, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. 2. The canal is 101 miles (163 km) long and 240 feet (73 meters) deep at sea level. 3. The Suez Canal was opened in 1869, after 10 years of construction by about 60,000 workers. It is considered to be the largest engineering project of the 19th century. 4. The Suez Canal is governed by the Suez Canal Authority and is one of the key sources of income for Egypt – contributing to an estimated 2.6% of Egypt’s GDP in 2009. 5. The US and UK originally helped finance the Suez Canal, but were replaced by private investors in 1888. 6. In 1956, the Suez Crisis occurred when the Egyptian President, Gamal Abdel Nasser, decided to nationalize the company operating the canal in response to US and UK cuts in financial aid. 7. An agreement was finally reached in 1957 and the canal was reopened in 1975. 8. The Suez Canal is one of the world’s most travelled waterways, with over 200 ships passing through it every day. 9. The area around the canal is very shallow and only has a few feet of water, meaning the canal has to be dredged regularly. 10. In 2016, a major expansion of the canal was completed, which saw the canal increase in size and improve deeper draft access in three channels. This has allowed for larger ships to be able to travel through the canal. One of the historical monuments of Egypt, it tells the story of a bygone era