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Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is very unique. The water in it is level with the level of the shore, so the canal gives the impression of a gigantic ditch filled to the brim. It seems that the slightest wave - and the water will splash out over the edge onto the coastal sand. It is very interesting to watch large ocean ships passing through the canal: it seems that they are going straight through the desert...
The idea of ​​digging a cable across the Isthmus of Suez arose in ancient times. Ancient historians, in particular Strabo and Pliny the Elder, report that the Theban pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom era tried to build a canal connecting the right branch of the Nile with the Red Sea. The first reliable historical evidence of the connection of the Mediterranean and Red Seas by a canal dates back to the reign of Pharaoh Necho II (late 7th - early 6th century BC).

The expansion and improvement of the canal was carried out by order of the Persian king Darius I, who conquered Egypt, and subsequently by Ptolemy Philadelphus (first half of the 3rd century BC). However, in 767, the cable system connecting the Nile with the Red Sea was destroyed by order of the Arab caliph al-Mansur. Since then, no work has been carried out to restore this ancient trade route.
The prerequisites for implementing a technically complex and labor-intensive project appeared only in modern times. The construction of the Suez Canal is associated with the name of Ferdinand de Lecceps, the French consul in Alexandria in 1832-1833. and consul in Cairo in 1833-1837. Having conceived this grandiose enterprise, Lesseps established friendly contacts with the Khedive of Egypt, Muhammad Ali. However, Lesseps was never able to convince either Ali or his successor, Khedive Abbas I, of the need to build a canal. However, in the end, Lesseps’ perseverance was rewarded: on November 30, 1854, he received the desired firman from the hands of Abbas I’s successor, Khedive Said ( decree) granting him a concession for the construction of the Suez Canal. At the same time, Lesseps himself was named in the text of the firman with the words “our friend.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Egypt provided the General Company of the Suez Maritime Cable, headed by Lesseps, with the right to build and operate the cable for a period of 99 years. At the same time, 75% of the income from operation went to the General Company, 15% to the Egyptian government, and 10% to the founders of the company. For 10 years the company was completely exempt from paying taxes. and then obliged to pay only 10% of taxes.
The company's initial capital was 200 million francs, divided into 400 thousand shares of 500 francs each. The largest number of shares was acquired by France -207,111. England, Austria. Russia and the United States did not purchase a single share, but they were left with 85,506 shares. In order to support the company, Khedive Said bought the remaining 177,642 shares, thus concentrating almost 44% of all shares in his hands.

French contractors Linnan de Bellefond and Mougel drew up the technical design for the Suez Canal route. Its laying took place on April 25, 1859. On this day, Lesseps and members of the Company Council arrived at the place where the city of Port Said, named after Khedive Said, soon grew. After a short speech dedicated to the significant event, Lesseps personally drew the first furrow along the line that marked the contour of the canal.
From 20 to 40 thousand workers were simultaneously employed in the construction of the canal. Lesseps was able to provide construction with labor only by getting Khedive Said to issue a firman on the forced mobilization of peasants. Village elders were ordered to round up residents of nearby villages for construction. Due to unbearable working conditions during the construction of the Suez Canal, according to some estimates, up to 120 thousand Egyptians died.

During the first period of excavation, almost everything was done by hand. The loose soil did not allow soil to be transported in wheelbarrows, and it was often necessary to lift the wheelbarrow and carry it by hand to the unloading site. The difficulties were compounded by the fact that the area chosen for the rope was damp and swampy. Even a shallow trench dug to mark the bed of the future canal was filled with water within an hour. Then the workers lined up in a chain across the constantly deepening riverbed, from one bank to the other. Tem. whoever was in the center, the water reached the waist. Having lifted a lump of earth from the bottom of the trench with a shovel, they passed it along the entire chain. At the edge, the earth was put into canvas bags. Having filled the bag, the worker climbed up the slope and dumped the earth there.
Only at the final stage of construction were steam engines used. The huge volume of excavation work required the improvement of earth-moving equipment. In particular, giant (at that time) dredgers, conveyors, excavators, and cargo longboats with lifting devices were created specifically for the construction of the Suez Canal. In 1863, mechanical repair shops were opened in Port Said.

The final cost of the canal was 560 million francs, i.e. almost tripled the original estimates. At the same time, Egypt assumed more than 60% of the financial costs.
In March 1869, the waters of the Mediterranean Sea poured into the Bitter Lakes lying on the canal route, and six months later, on November 15, the grand opening of the canal took place.
Numerous Turkish, Egyptian, Austrian, French, Russian, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Spanish frigates, yachts, mail and passenger ships lined up in the harbor of Port Said on both sides of the wide four hundred meter canal. The fresh sea breeze fluttered colorful flags and pennants. Music thundered, the air trembled with the roar of fireworks. The opening of the canal was attended by the French Empress Eugenie, Prince Murat, Viceroy of Egypt Khedive Ismail, Emperor of Austria-Hungary Franz Joseph, Crown Prince of Prussia, Prince Henry of the Netherlands, Prince Ludwig of Hesse, General Banquo - Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee of the US Senate , leader of the Sahrawi Rif Republic Abdel Kader, ambassadors of a number of European powers, including the Russian ambassador in Constantinople N.P. Ignatiev, who arrived in Port Said on the Yakhont clipper. Among the guests of honor invited to the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal were the directors of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade (ROPiT) N.M. Chikhachev and N.N. Sushchev, as well as the artist I.K. Aivazovsky and writer V.A. Sollogub.

There were legends about the pomp with which the opening ceremony of the Suez Canal was arranged. Composer Giuseppe Verdi was commissioned especially for the festivities to perform an opera on an Egyptian theme, “Aida.” However, Verdi did not have time to finish the opera (he completed work on it only in 1871), and in the Cairo Opera House, the construction of which was also dedicated to this occasion, Il Trovatore was staged instead.
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon on November 16, all the invitees gathered on the shore. Behind the flower-decorated triumphal arch, there was a view of three luxurious pavilions built on a sandbank. The middle one was intended for guests of honor; on the left there was a blue pavilion for Christian services, on the right there was a green pavilion for Muslim services. After the ceremonial speeches, a parade of Khedive Ismail's guards took place, and in the evening a large fireworks display was held. The people rejoiced. Only the main hero of the occasion, Lesseps, was tearing out his hair in despair: they had just brought him an emergency telegram: “Everything is lost - the steamer, making a test passage along the canal, ran aground.”

The meeting went on all night. It turned out that in a terrible hurry they did not have time to complete the work on deepening the main channel of the canal, and instead of the envisaged 8 m depth in many places it turned out to be much less. This jeopardized the passage of ships with deep draft. Most of the meeting participants were inclined to postpone the opening ceremony. And at this critical moment, only Lesseps was able to keep his cool. At his insistence, a strong-willed decision was made: open the rope and let some ships of small displacement through.
At 8:15 a.m. on November 17, the yacht of the French Empress “Aigle” moved across the rope. Behind it is the frigate of the British ambassador, and then a string of various ships. The fairway was marked with red buoys. At about 8 o'clock in the evening, not far from Ismailia, the caravan had to anchor: the steamship Pelusium ran aground and blocked the path for the rest of the ships. Then new complications arose: it turned out that in several places the rope was almost twice as small as the planned 8 m. Nevertheless, the first 48 ships passed through the Suez Canal.

Within a few years after the opening of the canal, it became clear that its construction had revolutionized international shipping. The exceptionally favorable geographical position of the canal has led to a significant reduction in the distance between Europe and the eastern countries. In particular, the route from Trieste to Bombay is 37 days shorter, from Genoa - by 32, from Marseille - by 31, from Bordeaux, London or Hamburg - by 24. Compared to the roundabout route around Africa, the Suez Canal provides fuel savings of 25 to 50%. Today, 15% of world trade is carried through the cable, 97% of all dry cargo ships in the world and 27% of all oil tankers pass through it. Thanks to the cable, the eastern Mediterranean became one of the busiest areas of international trade.
The eight-year inactivity of the rope (1967-1975) caused damage to world trade, which is estimated at approximately 12-15 billion dollars. Navigation along the Suez Cable resumed on June 5, 1975. This was preceded by a lengthy clearing of mines from the canal.

Currently, three caravans of 60-80 ships pass along the Suez cable every day. Revenues from the operation of the canal constitute one of the main profitable items in the Egyptian national budget. The number of ships passing along the rope is constantly growing, since this sea route continues to be cheaper than the route around the Cape of Good Hope.
In 1978-1985 the rope has been modernized. Its width was increased by 1.5 times and the fairway was deepened by approximately 45%. Currently, the rope can accommodate ships with a draft of up to 53 feet and a displacement of up to 150 thousand tons, constituting about 50% of the world's merchant fleet, as well as tankers with a displacement of up to 270 thousand tons with a full load.
On October 25, 1980, traffic was opened along the road tunnel running under the Suez Cable. Ahmed Hamdi, named after the Egyptian general who died during the 1973 war. This tunnel is located 17 km north of Suez. Its length is 1640 m.

The modern Suez Canal is a large waterway connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. A number of other important projects are associated with this building. The Suez Canal, where the city of Ismailia is located, is connected by a separate branch to the Nile River.

A road tunnel named after General Ahmed Hamdi has been built near the city of Suez. It runs under the canal and provides road links between Africa and Asia. A power transmission line runs over the water artery, suspended on two pylons at an altitude of more than 200 meters.

Built across the canal in 2001, the bridge held the status of the largest cable-stayed bridge in the world for three years. In 2004, it lost it to the Millau Viaduct in southern France.

An agreement to build the bridge was reached during President Mubarak's visit to Japan in 1995. The cable-stayed bridge was built with the support of the Japanese government, and the main contractor was a company from this Asian country. The unofficial name of the structure is the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge. It is built at a height of 70 meters, the length of its main span is 404 meters.

Today, the canal allows cargo to be transported from Asia to the Mediterranean, bypassing Africa. Every year, revenues from its use bring Egypt several billion dollars. This is the second most important source of replenishment of the state budget of the North African country.

History of construction: before the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal had a predecessor, built in ancient times. It is called the “Pharaonic Canal” or “Ancient Suez Canal”. Aristotle, Pliny the Elder and Strabo attributed the idea of ​​the canal to Pharaoh Sesostris. This is a collective image that united the Egyptian rulers of ancient times in the eyes of the Greeks and Romans. Sesostris is sometimes assumed to be Ramesses II.

According to Herodotus, construction of the canal began under Pharaoh Necho II (6th century BC). An ancient historian wrote that the length of the structure was four days' journey, and its width allowed two warships to sail side by side.

Necho II did not complete the construction of the canal. According to Herodotus, construction work killed 120 thousand Egyptians. But the ruler refused to complete the structure after he heard from the oracle that the canal would bring more benefits to foreigners.

In the 6th century BC. Egypt became part of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. King Darius I decided to complete the work of connecting the Nile with the Red Sea. They found out that there is no longer any water in the “old canal” dug under Necho. The king was able to mobilize the resources of his empire for its construction.

Darius I personally came to the opening of the canal. Along it stood three-meter steles with inscriptions in several languages. They reported that Darius ordered a canal to be dug so that sailing ships could go from Egypt to Persia, “as I wanted.”

Other authors doubted that the canal was completed under Darius I. They wrote that the canal continued to be completed under Ptolemy II (III century BC). This king's engineers were able to come up with water locks that prevented the Nile from filling with salt water.

In the last centuries of Antiquity, the structure was known as the "Trajan River" in honor of the great emperor of Rome in the 2nd century. In the 7th century, the canal was clogged with silt. The waterway was restored by order of the Arab commander Amr ibn al-As, who conquered Egypt, or Caliph Omar around 642 BC. In 767, by order of the Arab caliph al-Mansur, the canal was filled up so that supplies to his enemies would not pass through it.

Around the year 1000, they tried to make the ditch navigable again, but the new channel quickly became clogged with sand. At the end of the 15th century, the Venetians proposed a plan to connect a canal to the Red Sea and the Nile in order to conduct trade with India. But the plan was difficult to implement, and the conquest of Egypt by the Ottomans buried it completely.

During the Egyptian campaign in 1798, excavations were carried out on Napoleon's orders and the remains of an ancient canal were discovered. When Napoleon became emperor, there were attempts to revive the canal, but they were unsuccessful. The reason was that they did not take into account the depth of the Red Sea.

Birth of the Suez Canal

In the 1830s, a number of European engineers put forward their projects for the revival of the Suez Canal. In 1854, the Turkish Khedive of Egypt, Seyid Pasha, granted a concession to the French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps. It involved the creation of a company to build a canal open to ships from all countries.

The company was opened in December 1858, and began work in April 1859. Construction of the canal took ten years. To achieve this, the Suez Canal Company used forced Egyptian labor. In total, about 1.5 million citizens of different countries were involved in its construction. Several thousand workers died from disease.

The creation of the waterway did not suit the UK, and it took measures to slow down the project. The British publicized cases of the use of “slave labor” and forced them to abandon the involvement of local peasants in the work.

The official opening of the Suez Canal took place on November 17, 1869. The discovery was carried out by Ismail, the new Khedive of Egypt and Sudan. The ceremony was attended by Empress Eugenie, wife of the French Emperor Napoleon III.

The first to cross the canal was the French yacht Aigle. But on the night before the opening of the waterway, the English captain George Nurse sailed his ship Newport past ships of other countries. So the British were the first. Nurse received an official reprimand and an informal verbal thank you from his government.

All work was completed only by 1871, and at first few ships sailed through the canal. The majority of shares in the Suez Canal Company were owned by France. Debts forced Ismail Pasha to sell Turkey's share to French shareholders.

In 1882, British troops invaded Egypt, and Great Britain managed to gain control of the Suez Canal. The Convention of Constantinople declared it neutral under a British protectorate. Control over it was useful to the British during both world wars. In 1956, Great Britain withdrew its troops from Egypt, and the Suez Canal came under the control of this country.

Look at the news I read this morning: Egyptian military foils terrorist attack on Suez Canal

Egyptian authorities reported that they managed to prevent a terrorist attack on the Suez Canal. The criminals were planning to attack the Panamanian container ship Cosco Asia to stop traffic along the waterway, Reuters reports.

The ship did not receive any damage; the military personnel sorted out the situation.

Officials did not say what type of attack the criminals were planning, but agency sources said they heard two explosions as the container ship passed through the canal.

Let's find out more about this object and why it attracts terrorists:

SUEZ CANAL, one of the world's most important man-made waterways; crosses the Isthmus of Suez, stretching from Port Said (on the Mediterranean Sea) to the Gulf of Suez (on the Red Sea). The length of this lockless canal, the main channel of which runs almost straight from north to south and separates the main part of Egypt from the Sinai Peninsula, is 168 km (including the 6 km length of the approach canals to its ports); The width of the water surface of the canal in some places reaches 169 m, and its depth is such that ships with a draft of more than 16 m can pass through it.

Canal route.

The Suez Canal Zone is considered a conditional border between two continents: Asia and Africa. The main ports of entry are Port Said from the Mediterranean Sea and Suez from the Red Sea. The Suez Canal runs along the Isthmus of Suez in its lowest and narrowest part, crossing a series of lakes and the Menzala Lagoon.

The canal crosses a low-lying area of ​​sandy desert where the laying of its channel was favored by lakes Manzala, Timsakh, Bolshoye Gorkoye and Maloe Gorkoye. The water surface of both Bitter Lakes lies below sea level, but they had to be dredged because their depths were shallower than required for the canal. On the 38 km section from Port Said to El Kantara, the route passes through Lake Manzala, which is essentially a shallow lagoon of the Mediterranean Sea. The nature of the soil in the Suez Canal area made it easy and quick to carry out excavation work, and thanks to the flat terrain here - unlike, for example, the Isthmus of Panama - there was no need to build locks. Drinking water in the Isthmus of Suez region is supplied from the Nile through the Ismailia freshwater canal, which begins just north of Cairo. The Suez Canal Zone is connected to Cairo and the Nile Valley by a network of railways originating from the cities of Port Said, Ismailia and Port Tawfik.

Port Said

The first canals on the Isthmus of Suez.

The idea of ​​digging a canal across the Isthmus of Suez arose in ancient times. Ancient historians report that the Theban pharaohs of the Middle Kingdom era tried to build a canal connecting the right branch of the Nile with the Red Sea.

The ancient Egyptians built a shipping canal from the Nile to the Red Sea ca. 1300 BC, during the reigns of Pharaohs Seti I and Ramesses II. This canal, which was first dug as a channel for the flow of fresh water from the Nile to the area of ​​Lake Timsah, began to be extended to Suez under Pharaoh Necho II ca. 600 BC and brought it to the Red Sea a century later.

The expansion and improvement of the canal was carried out by order of the Persian king Darius I, who conquered Egypt, and subsequently by Ptolemy Philadelphus (first half of the 3rd century BC). At the end of the era of the pharaohs in Egypt, the canal fell into a state of decline. However, after the Arab conquest of Egypt, the canal was restored again in 642, but was filled in in 776 to channel trade through the main areas of the caliphate.

Drawing of the Suez Canal (1881)

Plans for the restoration of the canal, developed later (in 1569 by order of the vizier of the Ottoman Empire Mehmed Sokollu and by the French during Bonaparte's Egyptian expedition in 1798–1801), were not implemented.

During the construction of the modern Suez Canal, part of this old channel was used to build the Ismailia freshwater canal. Under the Ptolemies, the old canal was maintained in working order, during the period of Byzantine rule it was abandoned, and then restored again under Amr, who conquered Egypt during the reign of Caliph Omar. Amr decided to connect the Nile to the Red Sea to supply Arabia with wheat and other food products from the Nile Valley. However, the canal, the construction of which was undertaken by Amr, calling it “Khalij Amir al-mu’minin” (“canal of the Commander of the Faithful”), ceased to function after the 8th century. AD

At the end of the 15th century. The Venetians were studying the possibilities of building a canal from the Mediterranean Sea to the Gulf of Suez, but their plans were not put into practice. At the beginning of the 19th century. Europeans mastered the route to India through Egypt: along the Nile to Cairo, and then by camel to Suez. The idea of ​​​​building a canal across the Isthmus of Suez, which would help significantly reduce the cost of time and money.

Napoleon Bonaparte, while in Egypt on a military mission, also visited the site of the former majestic structure. The ardent nature of the Corsican was fired up with the idea of ​​​​reviving such a grandiose object, but his army engineer Jacques Leper cooled the commander’s ardor with his calculations - they say the level of the Red Sea is 9.9 meters higher than the Mediterranean and if they are combined, it will flood the entire Nile Delta with Alexandria, Venice and Genoa. It was not possible to build a canal with locks at that time. The idea was considered not feasible. In addition, the political situation soon changed and Napoleon had no time to build a canal in the sands of Egypt. As it later turned out, the French engineer was incorrect in his calculations.

The idea of ​​building the Suez Canal arose again in the second half of the 19th century. The world during this period was experiencing the era of colonial division. North Africa, the part of the continent closest to Europe, attracted the attention of the leading colonial powers - France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy and Spain. Egypt was the subject of rivalry between Britain and France.

The main opponent of the construction of the canal was Britain. At that time, it had the most powerful fleet in the world and controlled the sea route to India through the Cape of Good Hope. And if the canal was opened, France, Spain, Holland and Germany could send their small-tonnage vessels through it, which would seriously compete with England in maritime trade.

Modern channel.

In the second half of the 19th century, another Frenchman, Ferdinand de Lesseps, was able to organize the construction of the Suez Canal. The success of this venture lay in the personal connections, irrepressible energy, and adventurism of the French diplomat and entrepreneur. In 1833, while working as the French consul in Egypt, Lesseps met Bartholémy Enfantin, who infected him with the idea of ​​building the Suez Canal. However, the then Egyptian ruler Muhammad Ali reacted coolly to the grandiose undertaking. Lesseps continues his career in Egypt and becomes a mentor to the ruler's son. Between Ali Said (that was the name of the son of the Egyptian pasha) and the mentor, friendly and trusting relationships began, which in the future would play a primary role in the implementation of the grandiose plan.

Ferdinand de Lesseps

The plague epidemic forced the French diplomat to leave Egypt for a while and move to Europe, where he continued to work in the diplomatic field, and in 1837 he got married. In 1849, at the age of 44, Lesseps resigns, disillusioned with politics and his diplomatic career, and settles to live on his estate in Chene. After 4 years, two tragic events occur in the Frenchman’s life - one of his sons and his wife die. Staying in his estate becomes unbearable torment for Lesseps. And suddenly fate gives him another chance to return to active work. In 1854, his old friend Ali Said became the Khedive of Egypt, who called Ferdinand to his place. All the Frenchman’s thoughts and aspirations are now occupied only with the canal. Said Pasha, without much delay, gives the go-ahead for the construction of the canal and promises to help with cheap labor. All that remains is to find money to finance construction, draw up a project and resolve some diplomatic delays with the nominal ruler of Egypt - the Turkish Sultan.

Returning to his homeland, Ferdinand Lesseps contacts his old acquaintance Anfontaine, who all these many years with his like-minded people has been working on the project and estimate of the Suez Canal. The former diplomat manages to convince them to pass on their work, promising to include Enfontaine and his comrades among the founders of the channel in the future. Ferdinand never kept his promise.

The canal project is in his pocket and Ferdinand Lesseps rushes in search of money - the first thing he does is visit England. But in Foggy Albion they reacted coolly to this idea - the mistress of the seas was already making huge profits from trade with India and she did not need competitors in this matter. The United States and other European countries also did not support the French adventure. And then Ferdinand Lesseps takes a risky step - he begins the free sale of shares of the Suez Canal Company at 500 francs per security. A wide advertising campaign is being carried out in Europe; its organizer is also trying to play on the patriotism of the French, calling for them to beat England. But the financial tycoons did not dare to get involved in such a dubious undertaking. In England, Prussia and Austria, a ban on the sale of company shares was generally introduced. The UK is conducting anti-PR for the French adventurous project, calling it a soap bubble.

Suddenly, the French middle class - lawyers, officials, teachers, officers, merchants and moneylenders - believed in the success of this risky enterprise. The shares began to sell like hot cakes. A total of 400 thousand shares were sold, of which 52% were bought in France, and 44% were purchased by an old friend Said Pasha. In total, the company's share capital amounted to 200 million francs, or in terms of 3 billion modern dollars. The Suez Canal Company received huge benefits - the right to build and operate the canal for 99 years, tax exemption for 10 years, 75% of future profits. The remaining 15% of the profits went to Egypt, 10% went to the founders.

In 1854, the French diplomat and businessman Ferdinand Marie Lesseps, taking advantage of the growing influence of France in Egypt and personal connections, received a concession from the Egyptian ruler to build the Suez Canal on preferential terms. The construction of the canal was led by the Universal Suez Canal Company (La Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez), created by Lesseps.

The company began financing the construction of the canal. Only the British, who benefited most from the fastest route to India, did not buy a single share, although the canal shortened the distance between London and Bombay by 7343 km. The British government did everything to prevent this project. It condemned it as physically impossible, too expensive and unprofitable, believing that the water would immediately be absorbed by the hot sands of the desert, and in Lesseps’ calculations there was a gross geodetic error, because the level of the Red Sea is 9 meters higher than the level of the Mediterranean, and the civilization of Europe will perish under water . Then this opinion changed to the idea that the channel would turn into a stinking puddle. Meanwhile, the British quickly laid the rails of the railway right next to the future canal.

The British extended the rails from Cairo to Suez in 1859.

Construction of the canal began in April 1859 and lasted more than 10 years and cost the lives of 120 thousand workers.

The main work on the Suez Canal was carried out by Egyptians, who were forcibly recruited at a rate of 60 thousand people per month. Many of them died from overwork and epidemics. It was only when labor-intensive operations were mechanized that workers from Europe began to arrive here. However, the work took place in difficult desert conditions, and drinking water was delivered many kilometers away on camels and donkeys.

Each person’s daily norm was two cubic meters of earth, which was pulled out from the bed of the future canal in gunny bags or baskets. The only thing that the advanced science of Europe gave the workers was the first version of the excavator, which the Europeans themselves looked at as if it were a miracle. On the Mediterranean Sea, where the canal began, Port Said literally arose out of nowhere. It is built on a pier that protects the canal from silt. The length of the pier is 7 km (this is the longest pier in the world). From there, 25,000 workers traveled to work sites south until a special fresh water canal was built by 1863, finally allowing camps to be set up along the entire route. The length of the finished canal was 163 km. A reserve bay was dug every 10 km.

Until a canal with drinking water was dug along the future route, the canal was laid from north to south, and only with the improvement of working conditions did it become possible to continue work in both directions. Although 25 thousand people were simultaneously working on this construction site, the work went on for many years, and all this time Lesseps personally supervised each site.

At the same time, a freshwater canal was being laid from Cairo to Ismailia.

Construction continued continuously for three years until Britain intervened. London put pressure on Istanbul, and the Turkish Sultan put pressure on Said Pasha. Everything stopped and the company was threatened with complete collapse.

And here personal connections again played a role. Lesseps's cousin Eugenie was married to the French emperor. Ferdinand Lesseps had previously wanted to enlist the support of Napoleon III, but he was not particularly willing to help. For the time being. But since the shareholders of the Suez Canal Company included thousands of French citizens, its collapse would lead to social upheaval in France. But this was not in the interests of the French emperor and he forced the Egyptian pasha to change his decision.

By 1863, the company built an auxiliary canal from the Nile to the city of Ismailia to supply fresh water. In the same 1863, Said Pasha dies and Ismail Pasha comes to power in Egypt, demanding that the terms of cooperation be reconsidered. In July 1864, an arbitration tribunal under the leadership of Napoleon III considered the case and decided that Egypt should pay compensation to the Suez Canal Company - 38 million was due for the abolition of forced labor of Egyptian fellahs, 16 million for the construction of a fresh water canal and 30 million for the seizure lands granted to the Suez Canal Company by the former ruler Said Pasha.

To further finance construction, several bond issues had to be issued. The total cost of the canal rose from 200 million francs at the start of construction to 475 million by 1872, reaching 576 million francs in 1892. It should be noted that the then French franc was backed by 0.29 grams of gold. At current gold prices (about $1,600 per troy ounce), a 19th-century French franc is equal to 15 21st-century American dollars.

The opening of the Suez Canal took place on November 17, 1869 in Ismailia and was of international importance.

The canal has become a symbol of Egypt's intentions to take its rightful place in the world, a symbol of a modern country located on the border between East and West. Ismail Pasha, who became the Khedive of Egypt after the death of Muhammad Said, invited all the crowned heads of the civilized world, artists and scientists to celebrate the event that changed the map of the world. Among the guests were the French Empress Eugenie, the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, the Dutch prince and princess, the Prussian prince, writers Emile Zola, Théophile Gautier, Henrik Ibsen. Russia also did not remain indifferent to this important event. The celebrations were attended by Count Nikolai Ignatiev, Ambassador to Turkey, writer Vladimir Sollogub, artist Aivazovsky and other famous compatriots. For 6,000 guests, 500 cooks and 1,000 footmen were invited. 48 flag-decorated ships arrived at Port Said, and then this powerful flotilla moved through the canal. Many people from different countries crowded on the shore of Lake Timsah. At half past five a ship appeared under the French flag. From aboard the ship, the French Empress Eugenie and Ferdinand de Lesseps greeted the people who met them. "Eagle" is the first ship to sail through the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.

29,725 thousand pounds sterling were spent on its construction. The initial depth of the fairway was 7.94 m, and its width along the bottom was 21 m; later, the canal was deepened so much that ships with a draft of up to 10.3 m began to pass through it. After the nationalization of the canal by Egypt (in 1956), work was carried out to further improve it, and in 1981 ships with a draft of up to 16.1 m began to pass through it.

The enormous costs of constructing the canal complicated Egypt's economic situation.

According to the original terms of this treaty, the Egyptian government was to receive 15% of the gross profits from shipping on the canal, and 99 years after the canal was commissioned, it was to become Egyptian property. Most of the shares were purchased by the French, the Turks and Said Pasha, who bought almost half of all shares. In 1875, Disraeli, Prime Minister of Great Britain, bought 176,602 shares of the Company from Khedive Ismail for £4 million, giving Great Britain a 44% stake.

In 1880, the Egyptian government was forced to sell its right to 15% of the profits from the Suez Canal. Egypt was excluded from managing the canal and sharing in the profits. After the occupation of Egypt by British troops in 1882, the canal became the main British military base in the Middle East. In 1888, an international convention was concluded in Istanbul to ensure freedom of navigation along the Suez Canal.

The English light cruiser Euryalus passes the Sued Canal

The opening of the Suez Canal sharply escalated the Anglo-French struggle for Egypt, and the enormous costs of building the Suez Canal complicated the economic situation in Egypt.

Taking advantage of this, and the weakening of France after the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871, which forced it to cede a leading role in Egyptian affairs to Great Britain, the British government bought a controlling stake in the canal in 1875.

In 1876, joint Anglo-French control of Egyptian finances was established. However, during the Egyptian crisis of 1881–1882, caused by the rise of the patriotic movement in Egypt (the Arabi Pasha movement), Great Britain managed to push France into the background.

As a result of a military expedition in July–September 1882, Egypt found itself occupied by the British and became the main British military-strategic base in the Middle East.

Six years later, an international convention was concluded in Istanbul to ensure freedom of navigation along the Suez Canal, which is still the main document regulating navigation along the canal.

Great Britain established a protectorate over Egypt in 1914. In 1919–1921, the protectorate was abolished and Egypt was declared an independent kingdom.

However, the economy, foreign and domestic policies were controlled by Great Britain, and British troops were stationed in the country.

The July Revolution of 1952, organized by the Free Officers group led by Gamil Abdel Nasser, expelled the royal dynasty from the country. In 1953, Egypt was declared a republic. In 1956, British troops were withdrawn from Egypt and the Suez Canal was nationalized.

The nationalization of the canal served as a pretext for the Anglo-Franco-Israeli aggression against Egypt at the end of October 1956. The Suez Canal suffered significant damage, traffic along it was interrupted and resumed only on April 24, 1957, after the completion of the canal cleaning work.

As a result of the Arab-Israeli "Six Day War" of 1967, navigation through the Suez Canal was again interrupted, as the canal zone actually turned into a front line separating Egyptian and Israeli troops, and during the October 1973 war, into an area of ​​active military operations.

The annual damage caused by inaction to the Suez Canal was estimated at 4-5 billion dollars.

In 1974, after the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Suez Canal zone, Egypt began clearing, restoring and reconstructing the canal. On June 5, 1975, the Suez Canal was reopened to navigation.

In 1981, the first stage of the canal reconstruction project was completed, which made it possible to carry through it tankers with a deadweight of up to 150 thousand tons (on completion of the second stage - up to 250 thousand tons) and cargo ships with a deadweight of up to 370 thousand tons.

In 2005, a new reconstruction of the Suez Canal began. The reconstruction plan includes deepening the channel, which will allow more than 90% of the existing international merchant fleet to pass through the canal. Since 2010, supertankers with a displacement of up to 360 thousand tons will be able to navigate the canal. Today, the length of the canal itself is 162.25 km, with sea approaches from Port Said to Port Taufiq - 190.25 km. Width at a depth of 11 meters is 200–210 m. Depth along the fairway is 22.5 m.

Currently About 10% of all global maritime transport occurs through the Suez Canal. On average, 48 ships pass through the Suez Canal per day, and the average transit time through the canal is about 14 hours.

According to existing rules, ships from all countries that are not at war with Egypt can pass through Suez. Operating rules prohibit the appearance of only ships with nuclear power plants.

Today, the Suez Canal is the main budget-generating project in Egypt. According to a number of experts, the canal provides the country with more funds than oil production, and much more than the rapidly developing tourism infrastructure allows today.

The monthly volume of fees for passage through the canal is $372 million.

In the 2007–2008 fiscal year, the Suez Canal brought Egypt more than $5 billion, which was a record figure in the history of the canal.

In the 2008–2009 fiscal year, shipping traffic on the Suez Canal fell by 8.2%, and Egypt's revenue from operating the canal fell by 7.2%. Experts explain this by the consequences of the global financial crisis, as well as by the actions of pirates off the coast of Somalia.

The role of the channel in world trade.

Thanks to the Suez Canal, the length of the waterway between Western Europe and India was reduced by almost 8,000 km. In the northern direction, it transports mainly oil and petroleum products for Western Europe. Industrial products for the countries of Africa and Asia are transported in the southern direction.

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Is 8,000 km a lot? And for commercial transportation, where every kilometer costs a certain amount? In this matter everything the secret of the Suez Canal. One of the most famous buildings in the world deserves close attention. 160 km avoids the 8,000 km route along the African coast. 86 nautical miles - and you get from the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. From Europe to Asia.

Not bad? What would be the fate if they had this shortest route to rich India? What would Christopher Columbus do? Oddly enough, the Genoese had a chance to get to the coveted land of spices through the Arabian Isthmus. And despite the fact that the canal was opened only 145 years ago - in 1869, the history of the idea is much older and more interesting!

Birth of an idea

The ancient Egyptians quickly felt all the advantages of the geographical location of their country. The state that arose on the banks of the Nile could trade with Mesopotamia, Greece, and the countries of Africa and Asia with equal success. But there were also serious obstacles - the Arabian Desert, for example. Its endless sands separated the Nile, convenient for navigation, from the Red Sea. The people who built the Cheops pyramid and the Karnak complex simply had to think about building convenient shipping routes. Thus, under Pharaoh Merenre I (2285 - 2279 BC), to facilitate the delivery of granite from Nubia, canals were dug to bypass the rapids of the Nile.

The most interesting thing for you!

Speed ​​is no longer needed

Pharaoh Senusret III undertook the construction of a full-fledged canal. However, due to the fact that all these events took place around 1800 BC, it is impossible to say with complete certainty whether the ambitious ruler succeeded in bringing his plan to life. According to some reports, Senusret carved a canal 78 meters long and 10 meters wide in granite rocks to facilitate navigation on the Nile.

Of course, given the level of technology, this is also solid. But the modern Suez Canal is an unattainable height. Some sources (Pliny the Elder, for example) claim that Senurset had much more ambitious plans - to dig a 62.5 mile (about 100 km) shipping canal between the Nile and the Red Sea. He did not do this most likely because the court engineers were unable to draw up a normal plan.

According to their calculations, the water level in the Red Sea was higher than the Nile, and the canal would have “spoiled” the water in the river. For obvious reasons, ancient builders could not use gateways. Later, the brilliant Fourier proved the error of the Egyptian calculations, and later, in practice, the builders of the Suez Canal confirmed it.

Suez Canal: forerunners

Only a thousand years later, Pharaoh Necho II (c. 600 BC) tried not only to repeat his predecessors, but also to surpass them! Unfortunately, detailed information about the Necho Canal has not been preserved, but it is known that the journey along it took 4 days. This route passed near the cities of Bubastis and Patuma. The channel was tortuous, since before the Red Sea it was necessary to go around rocks. 120,000 Egyptians died during construction (according to ancient authors, but this may be an exaggeration). Alas, the work was never completed - the priests predicted an unenviable fate for the canal and the pharaoh did not tempt fate and resist the will of the gods.

Why did the Egyptians try so hard to bring such a large-scale idea to life? In the 19th century, this was obvious - the Suez Canal was needed to immediately enter the Indian Ocean, and not to go around Africa. But the Egyptians hardly even went to the Arabian Sea. And life in the desert taught them to land campaigns and expeditions. What is the reason? It's all about expansionist policies. Contrary to popular belief, Ancient Egypt didn't just build pyramids and worship cats. The Egyptians were skilled merchants, good warriors and careful diplomats. And the territories of modern Somalia, Yemen, and Ethiopia were a source of valuable goods: myrrh, valuable wood, precious metals, aromatic resins, incense, and ivory. There were also completely exotic “goods”: Pharaoh Isesi, for example, rewarded his treasurer Burdida for bringing a dwarf from Punt to the ruler.

Egyptian rulers used the entire arsenal of means - trade, troops, diplomacy. But why not the land route? Why just kill 120,000 citizens and spend a lot of money? The thing is that from ancient times to the present day, sea transport remains the cheapest. Maximum autonomy, carrying capacity, speed - this is all about ships, not caravan routes. The Egyptians understood this and ideas for canals like Suez were constantly visited by pharaohs and scientists. But the priests ruined all the plans of the ambitious pharaoh. This project was completed, but by a completely different ruler - Darius I.

Persians, Greeks and Arabs

A hundred years after Pharaoh Necho II, it was Darius who completed the construction of the canal, attributing to himself, however, a little more perfect: “I ordered this canal to be dug from the river, which is called the Nile and flows in Egypt, to the sea, which begins in Persia. […] this canal was dug because […] the ships went from Egypt through this canal to Persia, as I intended.” In fact, the Persian king only cleared the silt from the path already built by the Egyptians and paved the rest of the waterway - this is how the “grandfather” of the Suez Canal arose.

But even here, not everything is so simple. The historian Strabo gives slightly different data: “The canal was dug by Sesostris [aka Senusret, 1800 BC. BC] originally before the Trojan War; some, however, claim that this is the work of the son of Psammitich [this son was the same Necho II], who just began the work and then died; Later, Darius I took over this task and inherited the work. But under the influence of a false idea, he abandoned the almost completed work, for he was convinced that the Red Sea lay above Egypt, and if the entire intermediate isthmus was dug, Egypt would be flooded by the sea. Nevertheless, the kings of the Ptolemaic family dug out an isthmus and made the strait a locked passage, so that one could sail freely to the Outer Sea and return at will.”

This ancient author claims that Darius never completed the construction of the canal. Alas, ancient history is replete with such inconsistencies and it is hardly possible to point to a uniquely correct option. However, the participation of Ptolemy II (285 - 246 BC) in the construction of the canal does not raise any doubts. According to the recollections of contemporaries, the canal was so wide that two triremes could easily pass each other there (the width of such a ship is about 5 m), and these are respectable figures even for a modern structure. It was this ruler who completed the construction of the famous Faros lighthouse (one of the 7 wonders of the world), and in general allocated a lot of funds for the economic development of the country. After millennia, Egypt will become the birthplace of a new Wonder of the World - the Suez Canal.

After Ptolemy, the canal went to the Romans along with Egypt. Its next large-scale restoration was organized by Emperor Trajan. Later this path was abandoned and used only sporadically for local purposes.

Once again, the Arab rulers truly appreciated the capabilities of the canal. Thanks to the canal, Amr ibn al-As created an excellent route for supplying Egypt with food and raw materials. The trading function of the channel has changed in favor of infrastructure.

But in the end, Caliph Al-Mansur closed the canal in 775 due to political and military considerations. Without proper maintenance, the canal fell into disrepair and only some parts of it were filled with water during the annual floods of the Nile.

Napoleon. Where would we be without him?

Only a thousand years later, during Napoleon Bonaparte’s stay in Egypt, they started talking about the project again. The ambitious Corsican decided to restore the canal, because in the future he wanted to get an outpost between Britain and its colonies in India, and it would be a sin to miss such an element of infrastructure. The Suez Canal, its image, the idea - all this was invisibly in the air. But who could realize this technologically and economically colossal idea?

Having landed in Egypt in 1798, Bonaparte was able to easily defeat the Egyptian troops. Not expecting serious opposition from the Turks, he began planning the arrangement of the future colony. But the Ottoman Empire did not want to see a corps of 30,000 French in its south, so it turned to Great Britain for help. The Mistress of the Seas certainly did not want the strengthening of France, especially if it threatened her colonial interests. The brilliant Nelson managed to defeat the French at Aboukir.

Having lost the support of the fleet in the Mediterranean, Napoleon found himself in a trap and had no time for the canal. I had to save the soldiers and save myself. Meanwhile, the engineer Leper, whom Bonaparte brought from France, was drawing up a canal project. But he was ready only in 1800 - Napoleon was already in France, having abandoned the conquest of Egypt. Leper's decisions cannot be called successful, because his project was partly based on the old path laid by Darius and Ptolemy. In addition, the canal would be unsuitable for the passage of ships with deep draft, and this greatly affected the prospect of such a “short route” from Europe to Asia.

First steps to the Suez Canal

In 1830, Francis Chesney, a British officer, proposed the idea of ​​building a canal across the Isthmus of Suez in the London Parliament. He argued that the implementation of such a project would greatly simplify the British route to India. But no one listened to Chesney, since by that time the British were busy establishing ground transport infrastructure on the isthmus. Of course, now such a scheme seems pointless to us, due to the difficulty and ineffectiveness of such an approach.

Judge for yourself - a yacht or ship that arrived, say, from Toulon, disembarked passengers in Alexandria, where they traveled partly by land, partly along the Nile to Cairo, and then through the Arabian Desert to the Red Sea, where they again took their places on another ship, which went to Bombay. Tiring, isn't it? What if we calculate the cost of such a route for transporting goods? However, Chesney's project was rejected, especially since in 1859 a direct railway across the isthmus was completed. Where is some Suez Canal?

In 1833, the French utopian movement of the Saint-Simonists became keenly interested in the idea of ​​a canal. Several enthusiasts developed a construction plan, but Muhammad Ali Pasha (ruler of Egypt) was not in the mood to support such projects: at sea, Egypt had not yet recovered from the consequences of the Battle of Navarino, and on land it was necessary to fight the Turks. The time for the idea has not yet come.

Ferdinand was born in 1805 into the family of a diplomat, which, in fact, predetermined his career. At age 20, he was appointed attaché at the French embassy in Lisbon, where his uncle worked. At this time, he often travels to Spain and visits his cousin Evgenia. Her loyal attitude towards Uncle Ferdinand will still play a role. A little later, not without the help of his father, he received a place in the French diplomatic corps in Tunisia. And in 1832 he was sent to Alexandria, to the post of vice-consul. This is where the Suez Canal begins its history.

While still in France, de Lesseps became acquainted with the works of the Saint-Simonists and entered their circle. In Egypt, he had close contact with Barthelemy Enfantin, the head of the Saint-Simonist sect. Naturally, the ideas of reforming Egypt and large-scale construction projects could not help but visit the rather radical Enfantin. Moreover, at the same time, Muhammad Ali began to carry out pro-European reforms. Barthelemy was apparently sharing his thoughts with the young vice-consul. It is quite possible that he does this not only out of pure interest, but also because de Lesseps was successfully advancing in his career - in 1835 he was appointed consul general in Alexandria.

At the same time, another remarkable fact will occur, which will largely decide the fate of the channel: Muhammad Ali will invite de Lesseps to take care of the education of his son, Muhammad Said. Until 1837, Ferdinand worked in Alexandria, formally as a consul, but de facto also as a tutor.

During his five years in Egypt, Lesseps acquired connections among Egyptian officials and had a good understanding of local politics. Later, the Frenchman was sent to the Netherlands, and even later to Spain. In 1849, Ferdinand was part of the French diplomatic corps in Rome, where issues related to the Italian uprising were resolved. Negotiations failed, and de Lesseps was made a scapegoat and dismissed.

The former diplomat lived quietly on his estate, and in his free time he worked with materials that he collected during his stay in Egypt. He especially liked the idea of ​​​​building a canal across the Isthmus of Suez. Ferdinad even sent the canal project (calling it the “Canal of the Two Seas”) to Abbas Pasha, the ruler of Egypt, for consideration. But alas, I never received a response.

Two years later, in 1854, Mohammed Said ascended to the Egyptian throne. As soon as de Lesseps found out about this, he immediately sent congratulations to his former student. He responded by inviting the former consul to Egypt, and on November 7, 1854, Ferdinand de Lesseps was in Alexandria. In his travel bag he kept the project for the “Canal of Two Seas”, hoping to show it to Said. The time for an idea has come.

Great schemer

In literature, de Lesseps is often called an adventurer and a cunning businessman. True, this is associated more with the construction of the Panama Canal, but it was also noted in the Suez project. The fact is that on November 30, 1854, Said Pasha signed a concession agreement on the construction of the canal (amended in 1856). The terms of the agreement proposed by Ferdinand were extremely unfavorable for Egypt. That is why he deserves comparison with the unforgettable Ostap Bender. But if you look at the situation from the point of view of the middle of the 19th century, everything falls into place. Europeans perceived Asian and African countries exclusively as colonies - already established or potential. De Lesseps was a diligent student and followed the European political paradigm. It is hardly appropriate to talk about injustice if it did not exist as such.

But what was in that agreement? What did Said Pasha miscalculate?

• All land necessary for construction became the property of the company.
• All equipment and materials that were imported from abroad for construction were not subject to duties.
• Egypt pledged to provide 80% of the required labor force.
• The company had the right to select raw materials from state mines and quarries and to take all necessary transport and equipment.
• The company received the right to own the channel for 99 years.
• The Egyptian government will receive 15% of net income from the company annually, 75% goes to the company, 10% to the founders.

Profitable? As for a colony - quite, but no more. Perhaps Said Pasha simply was not a good ruler. He also pursued reform policies, but he lacked his father's foresight. As a result, he gave the most valuable canal into the hands of European colonists.

Suez Canal, ready to go, attention... march!

The final design of the Suez Canal with all the necessary drawings and calculations was provided in 1856. Only two years later, on December 15, 1858, the Universal Suez Ship Canal Company was founded. Before proceeding with the actual construction of the canal, the company had to receive financial support - for this Ferdinand began issuing shares.

In total, he issued 400,000 securities that had to be sold to someone. Lesseps first tried to attract the British, but received nothing but ridicule and a ban on the sale of shares in the Suez Canal Company. The conservatism of the British played against them this time. By relying on the railway across the Arabian Isthmus, they missed a wonderful shipping route. In Austria and Prussia, the idea also did not become popular.

But in their native France, the shares went off with a bang - the middle class was actively buying securities at 500 francs apiece, hoping to receive good dividends in the future. Said Pasha bought 44% of the shares, and another 24,000 were sold to the Russian Empire. As a result, the company's fund amounted to 200,000 francs (approximate rate: 1 1858 franc = 15 2011 US dollars). On April 25, 1859, construction work began on the site of the future Port Said.

Construction of the Suez Canal lasted ten years. There is no exact estimate of the number of workers involved. According to various sources, the canal was built by 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 people. Of these, several tens of thousands (or hundreds, no one counted) died. The main reason for this was backbreaking labor and terrible unsanitary conditions. What can we talk about if a normal canal to provide the construction with fresh water was built only in 1863! Before this, 1,600 camels delivered water on regular “flights”.

Interestingly, Great Britain actively opposed the use of, in fact, forced labor on the Suez Canal. But do not be deceived by the politicians of Foggy Albion - they were not led by philanthropy. After all, the British did not hesitate to use the Egyptians in exactly the same way when laying their railway (Lesseps wrote about this with indignation in a letter to the British government). It was all about economic interests - the Suez Canal seriously facilitated shipping between Europe and India, the richest colony of the British. That is why London constantly put pressure on the Turkish Sultan and France, not allowing the company to work calmly. It got to the point that the Bedouins hired by the British tried to start an uprising among the canal builders! The Turks and French did not want to quarrel with Britain, since they had recently fought together against Russia and they did not want to lose such a powerful ally.

In 1863, Said Pasha died, and Ismail Pasha ascended to the Egyptian throne. The new ruler wanted to revise the concession agreement and construction almost stopped. A serious threat hangs over the Suez Canal. But Ferdinand de Lesseps was a diplomat, albeit not a brilliant one. And what is a diplomat without an ace up his sleeve? Ferdinand addresses Napoleon III, although not directly, but through his niece Eugenie, the wife of the French emperor. An arbitration court led by Napoleon revised the terms of the agreement and returned the lands that had passed to the company to the Egyptian state. In addition, duty benefits and the company’s right to attract peasants to construction were abolished. But here, too, the company benefited - as compensation for changing the terms of the agreement, Egypt paid the company 3.326 million Egyptian pounds in 1866 and 1.2 million in 1869. But the most important thing is that the Suez Canal has begun to be built! The ideological inspirer Lesseps himself participated in the opening - on April 25, 1859, the project got off the ground.

16 km/year

Lesseps planned to build the canal in 6 years, but the work was enough for all 10. Due to a lack of technical means, the work progressed rather slowly. Manual labor by unskilled workers in desert conditions is not the best way to build giant canals. But we had to be content with what we had. At the final stage, excavators were used, which significantly speeded up the work.

Lesseps mentioned that in one month sixty of these machines extracted 2 million m3 of earth. In total, according to the Suez Canal Administration, the volume of excavation work was about 75 million m3 of land. Why is there such a discrepancy in the data? It is easy to calculate that if earthmoving machines worked on the Suez Canal for all 10 years, 240 million m3 could be extracted. The fact is that the company only acquired truly modern technical equipment at the end of construction.

The Suez Canal began at the Mediterranean Sea, then in a straight line to Lake Timsah and the dry Bitter Lakes. From there the final section went to the Red Sea, to the city of Suez. Interestingly, Port Said was founded as a construction settlement in 1859. Now it is a large city with a population of half a million, which plays an important role in servicing the Suez Canal.

In 1869 the work was completed. The Suez Canal was preparing to open. It really was a technological breakthrough - the length of the new canal was 164 km, width 60-110 m along the water surface and 22 m along the bottom, depth 8 m. There were no locks, which greatly simplified the construction. Despite the fact that the canal was formally built, permanent work on deepening and widening, by and large, never stopped - the canal was not suitable for large ships. Often, in order to avoid each other, one of the ships moored at a special pier (they were built every 10 km) and let the other pass.

But these are all particulars. The main thing is that Lesseps and his company proved that it is possible to build a canal across the Arabian Isthmus. Ismail Pasha organized grandiose celebrations in honor of the opening of the Suez Canal - more than 20 million francs were spent (these extravagant expenses, by the way, hit the country’s budget hard)! The highlight of the program was supposed to be the opera “Aida,” commissioned from Verdi, but the composer did not have time to write it, so the guests “settled” for a luxurious ball.

Among the guests were representatives of royal families from Austria, Prussia, the Netherlands, and Lesseps's beloved niece Eugenia. Russia was represented by the ambassador and famous marine painter Aivazovsky. Celebrations were planned for November 16, 1869, and on November 17 the Suez Canal was opened!

The Suez Canal is more important every year

In 1869, the famous clipper ship Cutty Sark was launched on the River Clyde. Ironically, the same year the Suez Canal, the “killer” of high-speed clipper ships, was opened. Now there was no need for these swift beauties - the squat cargo ships managed to transport more cargo in the same time thanks to Lesseps' creation.

But the Suez Canal is not only about poetry, it is also about politics. Soon after the first flights, the British realized what a tidbit they had missed. Probably, the proud sons of Albion would have remained with their noses, if not for the lack of basic financier skills of Ismail Pasha. The love of the ruler’s exorbitant luxury in everything (remember that same celebration in Port Said) seriously undermined Egypt’s financial position. In 1875, all 44% of the shares owned by Ismail Pasha (they passed to him from Said, his predecessor) were bought by Great Britain for 4 million pounds sterling (if this amount is converted into the 2013 pound, we get 85.9 million pounds). The company became, in fact, a Franco-British enterprise.

The importance of the Suez Canal is very clearly illustrated by the 1888 agreement. Then nine great European states (Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Turkey, France, Spain, Italy) signed a convention to ensure free navigation along the canal. The canal was open to all merchant and military vessels at any time. It was forbidden to block the canal or conduct military operations in it. If in a war where there are no rules, the inviolability of this highway was so respected, one can imagine what an important role he played.

With each subsequent year, the load on the Suez Canal constantly increased; it was the most important element of infrastructure, which made it possible to get from the Mediterranean Sea to Asia in a couple of weeks. The Egyptians were removed from the management of the canal, and all key positions were occupied by the French and British. Of course, this situation greatly affected the sense of national identity of the Egyptians. But this resulted in open conflict only in the middle of the twentieth century.

Before World War II (in 1936), the British won the right to keep troops at the canal to protect it. During the war, the Allies lay down their bones, but held the defense at El Alamein, trying to prevent Rommel from reaching the Suez Canal. It was truly a strategic facility that covered Middle Eastern oil and Asia. But after the war, the importance of the canal changed seriously. Colonial empires faded into oblivion, but oil exports increased many times over. In addition, the atmosphere in the Arab world began to heat up in connection with the proclamation of the Israeli state.

In 1956, a British-French landing force occupied Port Said. At the same time, the Israeli army was advancing on Egypt from the north. The reason for the invasion of European troops was an attempt by Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser (hero of the anti-monarchist revolution of 1952) to nationalize the Suez Canal. Despite heavy losses and temporary closure of the canal (1956-1957), Nasser achieved his goal and the canal became a strategically important object for the Egyptian economy.

After the Six-Day War in 1967, the canal was closed for 8 years. In 1975, the operation to clear and demining the Suez Canal was carried out by the US and USSR Navy. The canal's downtime was a severe blow to the economy. And Egypt was able to survive it only thanks to the help of other Arab states.

For 8 years (1967-1975) 14 ships were locked in the Great Bitter Lake (through which the Suez Canal passes): they did not have time to leave the canal before the blockade. They were called the “Yellow Fleet,” as they say, because of the sand with which the decks were covered.