Humankind has been the protagonist of numerous architectural feats. The creation of a canal that could connect the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea inspired ancient civilizations that inhabited the Isthmus of Suez. There were several attempts until the Suez Canal was finally built . The route is of great economic importance and has a fascinating history behind it, which we will recount here.
In this article we are going to tell you everything you need to know about the Suez Canal, its construction and history.
Suez canal design
We go back to the first attempts to build this canal in the 19th century BC. At that time, Pharaoh Sesostris III ordered the construction of a canal that could connect the Nile River with the Red Sea. Although it had a relatively small space, it was more than enough to accommodate all the boats of the time. This route was heavily used until the mid-7th century BC. The desert was so vast that it had reclaimed a large part of the land from the sea, blocking its outlet.
For this reason, Pharaoh Necho attempted to reopen the canal without success. More than 100.000 men died in the attempt. It was a century later that the Persian king Darius began work to restore the southern section of the canal. The idea was to create a direct route to the Mediterranean Sea, bypassing the Nile River, a canal large enough for all vessels. Construction was completed 200 years later under Ptolemy II. The route was virtually identical to that of the modern-day Suez Canal.
There was a nine-meter difference in water level between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea, which had to be factored into the calculations for the canal's construction. During the Roman occupation of Egypt, significant improvements were made to boost trade. However, after the Romans left, the canal was abandoned and fell into disuse. During the Muslim period, Caliph Omar oversaw its restoration. After a century of operation, it was once again reclaimed by the desert.
We must bear in mind that the desert has a continuous dynamic over time and that the sand can devastate everything in its path.
History of the Suez Canal
The existence of the Suez Canal remained completely hidden for a thousand years, until the arrival of Napoleon Bonaparte in Egypt in 1798. Among the group of scholars accompanying Napoleon were some renowned engineers, and he had specific orders to inspect the isthmus to determine the feasibility of opening a canal that would allow the passage of troops and goods to the East. The canal's primary purpose is, and has always been, trade routes.
Despite discovering traces of ancient pharaohs in the search for a way to reopen the canal, the engineer's understanding of its construction was completely impossible. The nine-meter difference between the two seas made it impossible to build. Years passed, and the increasing mileage made it necessary to open this maritime route.
By the height of the Industrial Revolution, trade with East Asia had ceased to be a luxury and had become vital to the economic growth of all the major European powers. In 1845, another route was added: the first Egyptian railway line, connecting Alexandria with the port of Suez . An overland route existed across the Sinai Desert, but it was impractical due to the limited cargo capacity of the caravans. Trade in these regions was far from efficient.
The first scientific railway line was quite useful for passenger transport, but insufficient for freight transport. It couldn't compete with the new steamships that existed at the time, which were much faster and had greater cargo capacity.
His construction
Finally, construction of this canal began in 1859 by the French diplomat and businessman Ferdinand de Lesseps. After 10 years of construction, it was inaugurated, becoming one of the greatest engineering feats in the world. Thousands of workers, including Egyptian peasants, were forced to labor, and some 20.000 of them died due to the harsh conditions under which the construction took place . It was the first time in history that excavating machines specifically designed for this type of work were used.
France and the United Kingdom managed this canal for several years, but the President of Egypt nationalized it in 1956. This sparked an international crisis known as the Sinai War. In this war, Israel, France, and the United Kingdom attacked the country. Later, between 1967 and 1973, Arab-Israeli wars took place, such as the Yom Kippur War (1973).
The last renovation of the Suez Canal was in 2015 with some expansion works that have generated numerous controversies, given that it has reached its current capacity and total length.
Economic importance
Currently, the situation has become more famous due to the grounding of the Ever Given vessel, which has more than 300 ships and 14 tugboats working hard to restore maritime traffic to the area.
Its economic importance lies primarily in the fact that some 20.000 ships pass through this canal manually, and it is a fully navigable channel used in Egypt. Thanks to this, the entire region has become prosperous thanks to trade. It facilitates maritime trade between Europe and South Asia and enjoys a highly strategic location.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the Suez Canal, its construction and its history.