The Suez Canal Map Archives - Tourism World Visit

To know about the Suez Canal of Egypt and how to visit and what places to see and what beauty to enjoy in detail, read our important articles in this post. If you are a travel lover or planning a trip, then having a clear idea about Suez Canal is essential.

Suez Canal

The Suez Canal, sometimes referred to as the Highway of India, is the link between Europe, Africa and Asia, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. A man-made waterway, this canal is an impressive engineering feat that has facilitated international trade since its inception in 1869. About $100 million spent on the construction of this canal. This single-track canal features two bypasses – Ballah By-Pass and Great Bitter Lake.

History (Suez Canal in Egypt):

In Egypt, long ago, it built with the idea of connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea with the Nile River. The ancient Egyptians were the first to undertake such a project. However, their canal connected the two seas through a tributary of the Nile. The canal abandoned and reopened many times by different rulers throughout its history, before finally being abandoned due to siltation and diversion of Nile waters.

Intended to connect the two seas directly, the first attempt to build this modern canal carried out by Napoleon Bonaparte. He hoped that by building a canal he would able to deal a devastating blow to the British monopoly on trade and commerce.

However, due to the wrong assumptions and thinking of his engineers, a difference of about 30 feet remained between the two seas. This meant the project was abandoned, which subsequently necessitated the closure of any functional canals, making the project very expensive. Later it determined that there was no practical difference in elevation between the two seas and that a canal was feasible.

In 1854 AD, Ferdinand de Lesseps was able to convince Said Pasha, Viceroy of Egypt, and in 1858 AD, he created the Suez Canal Company or Suez Canal Company. It had the power to build and operate the canal, which, after 99 years, would transfer its ownership to Egypt.

The construction of the canal started in April 1859 and completed in November 1869. Over the years, ownership and control of the company transferred between multiple governments. The international community became very concerned about the possible misuse of the canal for commercial and political purposes. In 1888, the Constantinople Convention declared that the waterways or navigable canals would be completely neutral and should offer passage to vessels from any nation regardless of their intentions.

The Suez Canal Crisis in Egypt :

After the Egyptian Revolution in 1952, it was announced that the canal would entirely operate by Egypt. In 1956, Israel, France, and Britain launched an invasion of Egypt in an effort to restore Western control over the canal and completely overthrow Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. This was known as the Suez Crisis or Tripartite Aggression. After intense pressure from the United States, the Soviet Union and all three invading Commonwealth countries withdrew their attacks. The canal currently managed and owned by the Suez Canal Authority, which is owned by Egypt.

Significance (Suez Canal in Egypt):

Before the construction of the canal, cargo ships traveled around the southern tip of Africa when sailing from Europe to Asia, or goods transported overland. Waterway controlled by Egypt, but is under an international treaty, so its use to share. This canal has more traffic and larger ship facilities than the Panama Canal. This dramatically reduced transit times by shortening the route between Europe and Asia.

In Arabic, this canal called Qanat al-Suez. From being one of the world’s most widely used shipping routes, the canal has become one of the world’s most essential waterways. Seawater flows freely through this free passage.

To make the canal or canal safe, the banks of the canal lined with barrier fences to protect against scour and wave damage due to constant shipping. Ships move slowly in the canal to prevent erosion. The perfect way to visit the canal is by boat or cruise.

New Suez Canal (Suez Canal in Egypt):

Egypt inaugurated the new Suez Canal on 6 August 2015. The expanded canal with a new 37 km waterway named the “Suez Canal Axis” (“Suez Canal Axis”). Recent expansion has doubled the canal’s capacity, increasing the number of vessels from 49 to 97.

Facts about Suez Canal in Egypt:

The canal opened in November 1869 AD Today (after the expansion project), the Suez Canal measures 193.3 kilometers (120.11 mi) long by 674 feet (205 m) wide and about 79 feet (24 m) deep.

Where is the Suez Canal located?

The canal is located in Egypt, extending from Port Said to Port Tawfiq in Suez. As the canal is about 200 km long it does not become traveled by tourists and various centers can visite along the way. Alternatively, take a cruise on the canal for a more complete experience. A good place to visit for a panoramic view of the canal is the Friendship Bridge or Friendship Bridge (or Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge) in Port Said.