Suez Canal history of construction and modern significance. The Suez Canal is a link between Africa and Eurasia

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 walking 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, gigantic 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 honored guests; 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 arranged. The people rejoiced. Only the main hero of the occasion, Lesseps, was tearing his hair out of 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: to 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 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 Suez Canal will connect the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. Thus, the waterway from the Mediterranean to the waters of the Indian Ocean is significantly reduced. There is no need to go around Africa, which is a huge plus for maritime shipping. The canal is considered the geographical boundary between Asia and Africa.

This most important sea route was put into operation on November 17, 1869. It connected 2 seaports - Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea and the port of Suez - north of the Gulf of Suez in the Red Sea. To the east of the canal are the lands of the Sinai Peninsula, and the western bank belongs to Africa. This waterway is considered the property of Egypt and brings the state treasury at least $5 billion annually, passing through about 18 thousand ships.

At the beginning of its operation, the length of the waterway was 164 km with a depth of 12 meters. Today, after several expansions, the length has increased to 193 km with a depth of 24 meters. The length of the northern access is 22 km, the canal itself is 163 km long and the length of the southern access is 9 km. The width of the water surface varies from 120 to 150 meters. Towards the bottom the width narrows and reaches 45-60 meters.

The waterway connecting the Red and Mediterranean seas does not have locks. This is very convenient, since ships can get from one salty body of water to another without any obstacles.

There are lakes on the canal. These are the Great Bitter Lake and the Little Bitter Lake. The large one is located to the north, and its water surface area is 250 square meters. km. The area of ​​Small Gorky Lake is 30 square meters. km. As for currents, during the winter months the water from the bitter lakes flows north, and in the winter it receives water from the Mediterranean Sea. South of the lakes, the current varies with the tides.

History of the Suez Canal

Ancient times

The ancient Egyptians set themselves the task of connecting the Nile River with the Gulf of Suez. They needed this in order to establish a trade route with Punt, an ancient state located on the Horn of Africa peninsula. The goods were very valuable - ebony, various paints, ivory, gold, animal skins, myrrh (gum resin).

It is assumed that back in the 19th century BC. e. such a canal was built, and the Nile was connected to the Red Sea. This waterway was tirelessly maintained by the pharaohs. But centuries passed, people and states changed. The water crossing gradually lost its relevance and fell into disrepair, and then the need for its restoration arose again.

The ancient Greek historian Herodotus reports that in the 7th century BC. e. The Egyptians again began to dig a canal, but did not finish it. Only 100 years later, the Persian king Darius I completed this waterway. In the 3rd century BC. e. it passed into the possession of Ptolemy Philadelphus, who became king of Ancient Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great. Judging by the mentions of ancient historians, the water stream was so wide that 2 ships diverged freely on it. In the 2nd century AD, the Roman Emperor Troyan deepened the canal and expanded it. But then another era came, and the waterway from Africa to the Red Sea was abandoned.

Construction of the canal in the 19th century

Centuries flashed by, and Napoleon Bonaparte stood at the head of France. In 1798, he ordered a thorough study of the construction of the Suez Canal, which could connect the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. A commission was organized, but its conclusion disappointed the emperor. Experts have concluded that the water level of the Red Sea is 9 meters higher than the similar level of the Mediterranean Sea. That is, it was necessary to build a whole cascade of gateways. The emperor was also told the amount of all the work - 45 million francs.

But it was not the financial issue that prevented Napoleon from carrying out construction. Circumstances intervened. The emperor was overthrown and sent into exile on the island of St. Helena, and talk about the grandiose project died out.

40 years have passed and other experts have already proven that the French commission was wrong. There is no water drop. After this, the idea was born to build a canal. It began to be actively promoted Ferdinand de Lesseps- French diplomat with extensive connections and an excellent reputation. He interested the ruler of Egypt, Muhammad Said Pasha, with his idea. This man once studied in Paris and received an excellent education.

Said Pasha granted Lesseps a concession for construction work, which began in 1859. The cost of the work was estimated at 200 million francs. For this amount, shares were issued and sold for future dividends. The governments of Egypt and France acted as guarantors, so this financial project was considered quite reliable.

The construction work was extremely difficult. People worked in the desert under the scorching rays of the sun. The main problem was the supply of workers not with construction materials, but with water. Fortunately, the bed of an old canal that was used in ancient times was discovered. It was through it that fresh water was released from the Nile.

However, technical and everyday issues that were not foreseen at the beginning very quickly “ate up” the amount initially included in the estimate. We had to issue additional shares. In total, the cost of all costs amounted to almost 580 million francs. Lesseps promised to build the waterway in 6 years, but the work dragged on for almost 11 years.

First, we made the northern part of the water area and went to the bitter lakes that had long since dried up. They were depressions with a depth of 8-10 meters below sea level. Then it was the turn of the southern part, which was connected to the Gulf of Suez.

The grand opening of the new waterway, which shortened the route from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean by 8 thousand km, took place on November 17, 1869. Representatives of almost all European powers came to the celebration. The celebrations continued for a week and cost 30 million francs.

Further history of the Suez Canal

In 1888, the maritime powers signed the International Convention. It guaranteed free passage through the canal for ships of all states. However, during the World Wars, control over this strategically important area was exercised by Great Britain and its allies. In 1956, Egyptian President Nasser announced the nationalization of the channel.

This caused a great stir in the world, since the Suez Canal carried 20% of all world traffic and 80% of US oil traffic. Economic interests gave rise to a war in which Egypt was defeated, and the strategically important waterway came under the jurisdiction of the UN.

Another conflict arose in 1973, when the Arab-Israeli war began. There were active military operations in the canal area, and its work was paralyzed. The waterway became operational only in June 1975. Currently, it is under the jurisdiction of Egypt and brings good money to the state treasury.

Ship on the canal

The waterway's throughput capacity is 76 vessels per day. The traffic is one-way. One ship takes from 12 to 16 hours. First there are ships from Suez, then ships from Port Said. Oncoming ships disperse in the Great Bitter Lake. The movement is organized strictly according to schedule.

Huge loaded tankers cannot navigate the shallow waterway due to their deep draft. Therefore, they unload, bypass the channel and load again at the other end. This creates certain inconveniences. Such cargo is transported by ships owned by Egypt.

In 1981, an underwater road tunnel was put into operation near Suez. It passes directly under the bottom of the Suez Canal and connects the Sinai Peninsula with Africa. This architectural creation is considered one of the attractions of Egypt. In 2001, railway and road bridges were opened in the northern part of the waterway. The height of the road bridge reaches 70 meters. The railway bridge is a drawbridge. Thus, these structures do not impede the passage of ships of any size.

This man-made creation is of great importance for the global economy. It saves a lot of time, and, therefore, reduces the cost of transportation. The benefit is obvious, all that remains is to hope for a stable political situation in this troubled region.

The Suez Canal is an artificial sea route on Egyptian territory, separating Eurasia from Africa. For almost 150 years it has been used for the shortest transport of goods from the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean.

The Suez Canal is very easy to find on the map. It connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea. On one side of the Suez Canal is the port city of Port Said (on the Mediterranean coast), and on the other is Suez (on the Red Sea coast). It “cuts” the narrowest part of the Isthmus of Suez.

Since 1956, the Suez Canal has been fully owned by Egypt. Before that, it was owned by the General Suez Canal Organization, owned by France and England.

Dimensions

Different sources provide different information about the length, width and depth of the Suez Canal. According to the latest data, its length, including approach sections and the route, is approximately 193 kilometers. Throughout its entire length, the Suez Canal has unequal width and depth. According to official information, at a depth of 11 meters the width is 205-225 meters. In 2010, the maximum depth was 24 meters.

Price per pass

The rules and price of sailing are determined by Egypt. Its budget largely depends on the Suez Canal, because every year profits from the use of this waterway amount to about five billion dollars. The passage through the Suez Canal is the most preferable for ship owners, since when using an alternative route that goes around Africa, the distance increases by 8 thousand kilometers, and accordingly there is a large loss of time. In addition, there is a possibility of running into Somali pirates. The cost of passage through the canal depends on the weight of the cargo, the draft of the vessel, the height of the cargo on deck, the date of application and other factors, and ranges from 8-12 dollars per ton. The total cost of passing a ship with a large cargo can reach a million dollars.

The role of the canal in Egyptian life

The Suez Canal is of great importance for the global cargo transportation market. About 20% of all transported oil is transported through it and about 10% of all world trade cargo transportation is carried out. In addition, tourists from all over the world come to the Suez Canal to see and take photos, which also helps to increase Egypt’s budget.

Modernization of the Suez Canal

After the Suez Canal began to belong to Egypt, the government began to consider its expansion one of its main tasks, because its original depth was 8 meters and its width was 21 meters.

Now the government plans to create a new channel, which will run next to the main one. Its length will be 72 kilometers. This will make it possible to extract even greater profits due to the increased throughput of the canal. The expansion should reduce wait times to travel through the passage to three hours (currently 11 hours) and triple the number of ships passing through the canal at any one time. In addition, a huge number of new jobs will appear. It is planned to spend several billion dollars on expansion.

Workarounds

Due to the high cost of passage, owners of transport vessels are looking for alternative ways to transport goods. The Israeli government proposed to build a bypass route through its territory. This is the so-called “bypassing” of the channel. However, this route cannot be made completely by water, so there are plans to build a railway line between the city of Eilat and the Mediterranean coast.

Rosatomflot also proposed replacing the Suez Canal. Presumably, the Northern Sea Route, which connects Europe with Asia, could be used as a replacement. Due to the melting of Arctic ice, this route is open for a longer time and, perhaps, in the near future, it will be possible to transport goods across Russian territory.

History of construction

The idea of ​​​​making the shortest route to the waters of the Red Sea visited the inhabitants of Egypt many centuries ago. The first attempts were made by the Theban pharaohs during the Middle Kingdom. They wanted to connect the Red Sea with one of the tributaries of the Nile.

The history of the creation of the canal itself began at the end of the 7th - beginning of the 6th century BC. Evidence from Herodotus has been found that says that Pharaoh Necho II began the construction, but Darius I completed the canal a century later. Then things didn't go very well. Reconstruction of the route took place in the 3rd century BC under the leadership of Ptolemy II Philadelphus. The deepening of the canal took place several centuries later by order of Emperor Trajan, during his reign in Africa. In the 8th century (during the conquest of Egypt by the Arabs), despite the fact that this transport route was actively used, it was filled up.

In 1854, French businessman Ferdinand de Lesseps decides to resume the history of the Suez Canal. Since France had great influence in Egypt at that moment, he was allowed to start this process. Construction work started in 1859, the canal was opened 10 years later. Large numbers of Egyptians were forced into forced labor, and many died from hard labor, dehydration, and disease.

As a result of construction, the country's economy suffered seriously, which forced Ismail Pasha to sell his share of the Suez Canal World Organization to the British. In 1882, a British military base was located in this place.

Suez Canal

The most important artificial canal in, stretching from to. Located to the west of the Sinai Peninsula, it marks the border between two continents. The length of the canal with approach sections reaches 170 km. This shipping canal is included in the version of our website.

The Suez Canal originates in Port Said and stretches to the bay of the same name in the Red Sea. Water transport can pass through it in both directions. Before the opening of this waterway, the transport of goods between Africa and Eurasia was carried out only by land. The canal was opened for navigation in the second half of the 19th century.

According to historical facts, a canal was built here during the 12th Dynasty of Egyptian pharaohs in order to connect the Nile with the Red Sea. The canal was completed by many subsequent rulers and even by the Persian king Darius I, who conquered Egypt. During the reign of Caliph Mansur, the canal was completely filled up. They started thinking about its restoration in the 16th century AD. during the Ottoman Empire.

The re-opening of the canal had an invaluable impact on world trade. During the First and Second World Wars, the Suez Canal was repeatedly invaded and partially destroyed. Currently, it is one of the main components of the Egyptian budget. Tariffs for transporting goods through the canal increase every year.