For centuries the need for joining the Mediterranean to the Red Sea by a canal was felt strongly. Some people believe that the first attempt was made in about 2000 BC in the time of the Pharaohs. Over the time a number of plans were made, but somehow these could not materialize. However, the idea gained momentum when the trade between Western Europe, India and Far East increased. The idea was also mooted out to cut over several thousand kilometres off the route from Britain to India.
Ships from European and Asian countries use it as a short cut on voyages. In fact this saves them sailing about 9650 km. around Southern Africa. The British were very keen to achieve it because their trade was advancing very rapidly. It was however, the French who acted first on this idea.
The man responsible for finalizing the Suez Canal project was a French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, who managed to persuade the Egyptian government to entrust him with the enterprise. He secured the necessary money from European countries. He received many plans by various people for the construction of the canal. But he selected the one given by an Italian engineer Luigi Negrelli.
Construction work of the canal began on April 25, 1859. The Canal was inaugurated in the latter half of the 19th century. Ferdinand de Lesseps was honoured by Queen Victoria in 1875. Disraeli, the British Prime Minister bought all the shares of the company and thus Britain became the majority share holder in the Suez Canal Company. The company was given the right to operate the canal for 99 years.
In 1956 the Egyptian government headed by Col. Nasser suddenly nationalized the canal. It is now owned and managed by the country through which it runs. This was unacceptable to the British and the French, and in the same year they took military action to restore its international character. Finally they had to accept the declaration.
It took 10 years to build the canal. An estimated 25,000 Egyptian and 1000 Europeans worked on this massive project. On its inauguration on November 17th, 1869 a fleet of 20 ships left Port Said and came to the canal.
The canal is 161.9 km (100.6 miles) long. Its width varies from 235 feet to 421 feet on the surface of the water. The width of the bottom of the canal is between 151 feet and 337 feet. The depth of water is between 37 and 42 feet. Only those ships are allowed to go in the canal which needs less than 35 feet of water. This canal provides a way to Europe, India and Western Pacific countries.
Today Suez Canal offers a big sea route to the world. It was closed from June 1967 to June 1975 because of Arab-Israeli war. In fact it is the world’s big-ship canal linking the Red and Mediterranean Seas. Dredging has now made it wider and deeper than it was a century ago.