The Suez Canal, a marvel of human ambition, has been a vital waterway for more than 150 years. Prior to its construction in the 19th century, the world had never seen a project of its epic scope, and its completion revolutionized global trade and maritime transportation. To enrich your understanding of this colossal project, PONANT has invited the experts at Smithsonian Journeys to join us on our luxury expedition cruise to this breathtaking region.
The desire to link the Mediterranean and Red Seas dates back thousands of years. Pharaohs and kings met with various successes in dredging an east-west canal from the Nile River to the Red Sea, forcing laborers to endure or succumb to harsh desert landscapes. By some accounts, the Red Sea stretched farther north back then, making it easier to reach. However, attempts to connect the waters were often undermined by the buildup of silt along the route.
Then came Napoleon. In 1798, he led the French campaign in Egypt and Syria and ordered his team of archaeologists, scientists, and mapmakers to comb through desert sands in search of a fabled ancient manmade waterway. They found one, heading east from the Nile in northern Egypt, then south to the Red Sea. Later, as emperor, in the early 1800s, he wanted to make a north-south passage a reality once again, but abandoned the idea when engineers told him (incorrectly) that locks would be needed because the Red Sea was higher than the Mediterranean Sea.
The Quest to Link the Seas
So ships continued traveling between Europe and Asia via the long and treacherous voyage around the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa, a journey that added about 5,500 miles on a sailing, for instance, from London to the Arabian Sea. Some nations and mercantile companies created overland routes instead, choosing an unforgiving terrain over the long water route. Britain even built a railroad from Alexandria to Suez, via Cairo – largely in an attempt to solve the “canal problem” whose completion, they believed, would interfere with the supremacy it held in India.
But French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps didn’t care much about Britain’s concerns. He had come to know Egypt and its people quite well as a diplomat from 1828 to 1837 and he believed a canal was still feasible. Building on a colleague’s proof that the altitude between the Mediterranean and Red Seas was negligible, he persuaded his former pupil, the Khedive of Egypt Sa’id Pasha, to support the formation of the Suez Canal Company, which would build a neutral path between the seas. By decree, the canal would be open to all nations for a fee and controlled by the French for a period of 99 years. Construction began in April of 1859.
The project demanded a colossal human effort. Engineers and skilled workers from France, Italy, and Greece lent their expertise. Some 30,000 workers at a time toiled on site and more than 1.5 million were involved over the full decade it took to complete it. Egyptian laborers – fellahin (peasants), urban dwellers, and Bedouin tribesmen - did most of the brute work under relentless conditions, often facing harsh weather and waterborne diseases. Thousands perished.
Two Oceans Meet
In 1869, the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean (via the Mediterranean) and the Indian Ocean (via the Red Sea) finally converged in the Bitter Lakes, the artificial lake 57 miles north of the Mediterranean terminus. The new waterway was 177 feet wide and 26 feet deep. By the time of its completion, three cities had been founded: Suez, Ismailia, and Port Said.
The November 17 inauguration of the Suez Canal was a grand affair. Six European luminaries attended a ceremony presided over by the French Empress Eugenie, wife of Emperor Napoleon III. The canal received blessings during both Christian and Muslim ceremonies and fireworks lit up the night sky. To the thunder of cannon salutes, the dignitaries then embarked an impressive flotilla of 40 ships to make the first crossing, a two-day, 120-mile journey punctuated by military ceremonies, more fireworks, and a ball at the Governor’s Palace.
A Conduit of Global Connection
Meanwhile, in the United States, the transcontinental railroad had been operating for a mere six months. With the completion of these two monumental projects, the globe could be circled by land and sea in less time than ever before, bolstering economies and growth worldwide.
In Europe, Mediterranean countries felt an immediate effect, in large part thanks to their closer proximity to Asia than northern and western European nations. Back in the 19th century after the canal’s opening, a steamship could save a full month of sailing time. Today, ships save up to nine days. The canal also connects the Mediterranean to East African ports and cities. In all, the Suez Canal unites economies and cultures, people and nations.
As for Ferdinand de Lesseps? In 1881, he went on to spearhead the construction of the Panama Canal – a project that failed spectacularly under his watch. You can read more about it here.
We invite you to experience a Suez Canal crossing with PONANT and Smithsonian Journeys on board the luxurious small ship Le Champlain.