Which country does the Suez Canal belong to? Suez Canal is

Suez Canal- navigable without lock sea ​​channel in the northeast of Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Suez Canal - the shortest waterway between the ports of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans (8-15 thousand km less than the route around Africa).

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 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 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). 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.

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.

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 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.

A modern symbol of the United States, the Statue of Liberty was originally planned to be installed in Port Said under the name “The Light Of Asia,” but the then government of the country decided that transporting the structure from France and installing it was too expensive for the state.

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 some experts, the canal provides the country with more funds than oil production, and much more than the rapidly developing tourism infrastructure allows today.

The operation of the canal is one of the main sources of foreign exchange earnings for the Egyptian treasury. According to some experts, the canal provides the country with more funds than oil production, and much more than the rapidly developing tourism infrastructure.

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.

Already the ancient Egyptians built a shipping canal that connected the Nile with the Red Sea. Viscount Ferdinand Marie de Lesseps (1805 - 1894) was a French businessman, politician and diplomat. In 1833 he was consul in Cairo, in 1848 - 1849 - ambassador in Madrid. In 1869 he became a member of the French Academy of Sciences. He was the organizer of the construction of the Suez Canal, and in 1875, during a conference of the Paris Geographical Society, he outlined the concept of his new project - the construction of the Panama Canal.

In 1854, when Said Pasha became Viceroy of Egypt, he granted Lesseps a concession to build the Suez Canal. Lesseps thought through every detail related to the opening of the Suez Canal, and managed to competently stage it as an unprecedented celebration. There would be festive fireworks, dancing and music; on the occasion of this event, an opera was commissioned from the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi (however, the composer failed, and the premiere of “Aida” took place only in 1871).

The opening ceremony was attended by 6,000 invited guests, among whom were many crowned heads from all over the world. A whole flotilla led by the French yacht “L’Aigle” passed along the canal, on board of which were the French Empress Eugenie, the ruler of Egypt, the emperors of Russia and Austria, the kings of Prussia and Holland.

Suez Canal canal on the map

The Suez Canal is considered to be a conventional border between Africa and Asia. During its construction, they tried to make maximum use of natural reservoirs - lakes Timsakh, Bolshoye Gorkoye and Maloe Gorkoye. At the southern entrance to the canal is the city of Suez, and in the north, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, is Port Said.

Suez Canal from satellite

The Suez Canal mainly transports oil, iron ore, raw materials for the smelting of non-ferrous metals, as well as grain and timber. Despite the fact that this waterway runs through a barren desert, it is very popular among tourists.

The Panama Canal crosses the Isthmus of Panama, a narrow strip of land that connects North America to South America. At the entrance to the canal from the Pacific Ocean (Gulf of Panama) is the city of Panama, and from the Atlantic Ocean is the port of Colon.

The Panama Canal, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, at one time became one of the most ambitious projects. After the completion of many years of construction, the length of the water corridor was 65 km. The city of Panama was founded by the Spaniards in 1519 as a harbor for ships bringing gold from Peru. The route along which the jewels were transported first went along the western coast of South America to the narrowest point on the isthmus, separating the two oceans. Here the treasures were loaded onto mules and transported from the shores of the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic coast. Convoys carrying gold were often attacked by pirates, and in 1671 Henry Morgan dared to attack the city, captured it and burned it to the ground. Spain restored Panama, but in a different place. Today the Panama Canal is one of the tourist attractions.

Panama Canal on the map

An observation terrace was built especially for tourists, from where you can watch the maneuvers of ocean-going ships when these giants enter the canal bed. The Panama Canal runs through picturesque green hills. Ships intending to cross the Panama Canal from the Atlantic enter the locks and rise 26 meters to the level of the artificial Gatun Lake. All lock chambers are paired and are designed so that ships coming from opposite directions can sail through the canal at the same time. In August 1914, the first ship passed through the 65-kilometer Panama corridor (together with the coastal part of the Gulf of Panama and Limon Bay, the length of the canal is 81.6 km).

Panama Canal from satellite

The thin blue line connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas is a waterway already familiar to everyone, which plays a huge role in the transport and economic life of the whole world. The name of this iconic body of water is the Suez Canal.

Suez Canal on a map of Africa

For many centuries, the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea were separated by a 150-kilometer strip of desert, resulting in water vessels whose course was the Atlantic- Indian Ocean, were forced to make a huge detour, skirting the African continent. With the construction of the canal, this problem was solved in the most rational way, because, in fact, the Suez Canal connects not just two seas, but entire parts of the world, saving huge reserves of money and fuel to cover the distance between the countries of Europe and Asia.

Ship sailing in the desert

The Suez Canal on the map of Egypt is also a conditional border between two continents - Africa and Eurasia. It passes along the Isthmus of Suez in its narrowest and lowest part. On its way, this lockless sea strait crosses several lakes and the Menzala Lagoon. The length of the canal is 163 kilometers, and its width varies in different sections (120-318 m). The canal reaches a depth of 20 m. extreme points are major ports (Mediterranean Sea) and Suez (Red Sea). Another significant settlement on the banks of this waterway is Port Fuad, the city where the administration of the Suez Canal is located. The canal is also home to such large Egyptian cities as Port Tawfik (opposite Suez) and the industrial center of the country, the city of Ismailia.

Ships sailing through the Suez Canal

Construction of the canal lasted 11 years and ended with a grand opening on November 17, 1869, which was attended by such famous historical personalities as Empress Eugenie of France, a Prussian prince, a Dutch prince and princess, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria-Hungary, and Minister-President of the Hungarian government Andrássy and others. It must be said that this event had an unprecedented scale and splendor. The celebration continued for a week, celebratory performances and fireworks continued day and night, and the highest-ranking guests attended the ball in honor of this event. The opening of the Suez Canal cost Khedive Ismail an astronomical figure by the standards of that time, 28 million gold francs. At first, the canal was the property of the Anglo-French General Suez Canal Company, but now, after nationalization in 1956, the Suez Canal belongs to Egypt.

Crossing the Suez Canal

Today, the Suez Canal on the map represents one of the busiest maritime transport systems on the planet. The ships sailing along it create a somewhat bewitching spectacle: there is a lifeless desert around, and giant ships seem to glide between these endless sandy expanses. This unique sea route handles about 15% of the world's total trade and about 20% of all oil traffic in the world. The duties levied by Egypt for transporting goods through the canal today bring this country huge income - more than 5 billion US dollars per year. This indicator is the second for Egypt after the income that tourism brings to the country. By the way, in addition to its main function, the Suez Canal today has also added to the list of tourist attractions in Egypt, which are already replete with the map of this state. Many tourists vacationing on the Mediterranean and Red Seas strive to look at the great man-made body of water. For tourists who want to see the canal and capture its views in photos, tour operators organize a trip by ship, the program of which, depending on the chosen tour, may include visits to Port Said, Suez and other interesting places.

Video tour of the Suez Canal:

The Suez Canal is the largest shipping canal between Eurasia and Africa

History of the construction and opening of the Suez Canal, photos and videos, maps

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Suez Canal - definition

The Suez Canal is artificial shipping canal located in Egypt, dividing Eurasia and African continent. It was opened to sea traffic in 1869. The canal is of great strategic and economic importance. Cash receipts from the operation of the canal are an important source of income for the Egyptian economy and occupy second place after financial receipts from tourism activities.

The Suez Canal is waterway of international importance. Length - 161 km from Port Said (Mediterranean Sea) to Suez (Red Sea). Includes the canal itself and several lakes. Built in 1869, width 120-318 m, depth on the fairway - 18 m, no locks. The volume of transportation is 80 million tons, mainly oil and oil products, ferrous and non-ferrous ores. It is considered a conditional geogr. border between Africa and Asia. (Concise geographical dictionary)

The Suez Canal is navigable, lockless canal in Egypt, connects the Red Sea near the city of Suez with Mediterranean Sea near the city of Port Said, crossing the Isthmus of Suez. Opened in 1869 (construction lasted 11 years). The authors of the project are French and Italian engineers (Linan, Mougel, Negrelli). Nationalized in 1956, before that it belonged to the Anglo-French General Suez Canal Company.

As a result of the Arab-Israeli military conflicts, shipping through the canal was interrupted twice - in 1956–57 and 1967–75. It is laid along the Isthmus of Suez and crosses a number of lakes: Manzala, Timsah and Bol. Gorky. To supply the canal zone with river water from the Nile, the Ismailia canal was dug. The canal route is considered a conditional geographical border between Asia and Africa. Length 161 km (173 km including sea approaches). After reconstruction, the width is 120–318 m, the depth is 16.2 m. On average, it passes per day. up to 55 ships: two caravans in the south and one in the north. Medium. channel travel time – approx. 14 hours. 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. For Egypt, the operation of the S. k. is the second most important source of income for the country. (Dictionary of modern geographical names)

The Suez Canal is a lock-free shipping canal in Egypt, on the border between Asia and Africa, connects the Red Sea near the city of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea near the city of Port Said. The shortest waterway between the ports of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Opened in 1869 (construction lasted 11 years). Nationalized in 1956, before that it belonged to the Anglo-French General Suez Canal Company. It is laid along the deserted Suez Isthmus and crosses a number of lakes, including the Big Gorky. To supply the canal zone with river water from the Nile, the Ismailia canal was dug. Dl. Suez Canal 161 km (173 km including sea approaches), width. (after reconstruction) 120–318 m, depth. 16.2 m. Per day passes on Wed. up to 55 ships - two caravans in the south, one in the north. The average time for passing the canal is approx. 14 hours. (Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia)

The Suez Canal is 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 the canal, the main channel of which runs almost straight from north to south and separates the main part of the territory 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.

The Suez Canal is navigable lockless sea canal to the north-east. ARE, connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The Northern Sea Route is the shortest waterway between the ports of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans (8-15 thousand km less than the route around Africa). The Suez Canal Zone is considered a conditional geographical border between Asia and Africa. The Suez Canal was officially opened for navigation on November 17, 1869. The length of the canal is about 161 km, the width along the water surface is 120-150 m, along the bottom - 45-60 m. The depth along the fairway is 12.5-13 m. The average time spent on passage ships through the canal, 11-12 hours. Main entry ports: Port Said (with Port Fuad) from the Mediterranean Sea and Suez (with Port Tawfik) from the Red Sea.

The Suez Canal route runs along the Isthmus of Suez in its lowest and narrowest part, crossing a number of lakes, as well as the Menzala Lagoon. To supply the canal zone with river water from the Nile, the so-called Ismailia freshwater canal was dug.

The Suez Canal is a canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean and is of significant importance for international shipping. Legal regime The canal is determined by the Constantinople Convention of 1888, which stipulates that in both war and peacetime the canal “is always free and open to all commercial and military vessels without distinction of flag.” The blockade of the canal is declared unacceptable.

The fundamental provision of the Convention is its resolution that: that "no action permitted by war, and no action hostile or intended to interfere with the free navigation of the canal, will be permitted in the canal and at its ports of entry," even in the event that Egypt is one of the belligerents. The Egyptian government, according to Convention, has the right to take measures necessary for its implementation, the maintenance of public order and the defense of the country in the canal zone, but in doing so it must not create obstacles to the free use of the canal. Having nationalized the General Suez Canal Company, the Egyptian government, in a declaration dated April 24, 1957, declared that it would “comply with the terms and spirit of the Constantinople Convention of 1888.” and that “the rights and obligations arising therefrom remain unchanged.”

(Encyclopedic Dictionary of Economics and Law. 2005.)

The Suez Canal is navigable lockless sea canal to the north-east. OAR; connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas; the most important link in the international communications: provides the shortest route between the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific ca. Dl. OK. 161 km (together with sea approaches laid along the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez - about 173 km), width along the water surface - 120-150 m, along the bottom - 45-60 m; depth - 12.5-13 m. Movement is one-way, by caravans with pilotage. The average passage time along the Northern route is 11-12 hours. Ch. ports - Port Said, El Qantara, Ismailia, Suez with Port Tawfik.

(Soviet Historical Encyclopedia)

Topographic maps of the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas. It is a conditional border between Eurasia and Africa.

History of the construction of the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal has a long history. Construction began in the 2nd millennium BC, but only in 1859 it was opened to sea traffic. The Suez Canal has not lost its importance to this day. Now revenues from the operation of the canal constitute a significant part of Egypt's national budget.

Suez Canal in the ancient world (2nd millennium BC - 1st millennium BC)

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 channel, which was first dug as a channel for a stream fresh water from the Nile to the area of ​​Lake Timsah, they began to extend 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.

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

Suez Canal in modern times (XV - XIX centuries 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.

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.

And only in the 19th century the canal received a new life. 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. 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.

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.

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 force. 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.

In Europe there is a wide advertising campaign, its organizer is also trying to play on the patriotism of the French, calling 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.

Unexpectedly, 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.

And then this historical day came - April 25, 1859. The mastermind behind the construction, Ferdinand Lesseps, personally picked up a pickaxe and laid the foundation for a grandiose construction project. 20 thousand local fellahim, as well as Europeans and residents of the Middle East, worked under the scorching Egyptian sun. Workers died from epidemics of cholera and dysentery, problems arose with the supply of food and drinking water(1600 camels were used to deliver it). Construction continued continuously for three years until Britain intervened. London put pressure on Istanbul, and Turkish Sultan to 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 for supplies fresh water the company built an auxiliary canal from the Nile to the city of Ismailia. 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.

Dredgers and excavators were used to speed up construction. Construction of the Suez Canal lasted 10 years and cost 120 thousand workers' lives. A total of 1.5 million people took part in the construction of the canal, and 75 million cubic meters of earth were removed. The length of the canal was 163 kilometers, depth 8 meters, width 60. By the end of construction, Port Said had 7,000 inhabitants, post office and telegraph worked.

And now the long-awaited moment of the official opening of the channel has arrived. On November 16, 1869, 6,000 guests gathered in Port Said, spending 28 million francs on their reception. Among the guests were crowned persons - Empress Eugenie of France, Emperor of Austria-Hungary Franz Joseph I, Dutch and Prussian princes. Russia was represented by the ambassador in Constantinople, General Ignatov. Initially, the highlight of the opening show program was supposed to be the opera Aida, but the Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi did not have time to finish it on time. So we got away with it.

On November 17, 1869, the Suez Canal was opened to navigation. Sea route from Western Europe to India decreased by 24 days. At first it took ships 36 hours to navigate the canal, but from March 1887 ships with electric searchlights were allowed to navigate at night, halving this time. In 1870, 486 ships passed through the canal, carrying 436 thousand tons of cargo and 26,750 passengers. At the same time, for transporting a ton of net cargo, a fee of 10 francs was charged (since 1895 they began to charge 9.5 francs). This did not cover the costs of maintaining the channel and the company was threatened with bankruptcy. But since 1872, the canal began to make a profit, which in 1895 amounted to 55.7 million francs (revenues - 80.7 million, expenses - 25 million). In 1891, good dividends were paid per share with a par value of 500 francs - 112.14 francs (in subsequent years, payments were slightly less). In 1881, Suez Canal shares were in such great demand that exchange price reached a maximum of 3,475 francs. In his homeland, Ferdinand Lesseps becomes a national hero. In 1875, the Egyptian Pasha sold his share of the Suez Canal Company to the British government. In 1888, the legal status of the canal was secured by international convection in Constantinople. This document guaranteed freedom of navigation along the canal for all countries in peacetime and war.

The opening of the Suez Canal was attended by the Empress of France Eugenie (wife of Napoleon III), the Emperor of Austria-Hungary Franz Joseph I with the Minister-President of the Hungarian government Andrássy, the Dutch prince and princess, and the Prussian prince. Never before has Egypt known such celebrations and received so many distinguished European guests. The celebration lasted seven days and nights and cost Khedive Ismail 28 million gold francs. And only one point of the celebration program was not fulfilled: the famous Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi did not have time to finish the opera “Aida” commissioned for this occasion, the premiere of which was supposed to enrich the opening ceremony of the channel. Instead of the premiere, a large gala ball was held in Port Said.

In 1956, Egypt nationalized the canal and since then the Suez Canal has been one of the largest sources of income for the country's budget.

Suez Canal today (XXI century)

The Suez Canal is one of Egypt's main sources of income, along with oil production and tourism.

The Egyptian Suez Canal Authority (SCA) reported that at the end of 2009, 17,155 ships passed through the canal, which is 20% less than in 2008 (21,170 ships). For the Egyptian budget, this meant a reduction in revenues from the operation of the canal from 5.38 billion US dollars in pre-crisis 2008 to 4.29 billion US dollars in 2009.

According to the head of the Canal Authority, Ahmad Fadel, 17,799 ships passed through the Suez Canal in 2011, which is 1.1 percent less than the year before. At the same time, the Egyptian authorities earned $5.22 billion from the transit of ships (456 million dollars more than in 2010).

In December 2011, Egyptian authorities announced that tariffs for cargo transit, which have not changed over the past three years, will increase by three percent from March 2012.

According to 2009 data, about 10% of the world's maritime traffic passes through the canal. The passage through the canal takes about 14 hours. On average, 48 ships pass through the canal per day.

Since April 1980, a road tunnel has been operating near the city of Suez, passing under the bottom of the Suez Canal, connecting Sinai and continental Africa. In addition to the technical excellence that made it possible to create such a complex engineering project, this tunnel attracts with its monumentality, is of great strategic importance and is rightfully considered a landmark of Egypt.

In 1998, a power transmission line was built over the canal in Suez. The line supports, standing on both banks, have a height of 221 meters and are located 152 meters from each other.

In 2001, traffic was opened on the El Ferdan railway bridge, 20 km north of the city of Ismailia. It is the longest swing bridge in the world, its swing sections are 340 meters long. The previous bridge was destroyed in 1967 during the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The Suez Crisis of 1956 was a complex issue with complex causes and far-reaching consequences for international relations in the Middle East. Tracing the origins of the crisis takes us to the Arab-Israeli conflict of the late 1940s, as well as to the decolonization that swept the globe in the mid-20th century and led to conflict between imperialist powers and peoples who sought independence.

Before the Suez Crisis ended, it deepened the Arab-Israeli conflict, exposed the deep rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, dealt a mortal blow to British and French imperial claims in the Middle East, and gave the United States the opportunity to achieve a prominent political position in the region.

Causes of the Suez Crisis of 1956

The Suez crisis had complex origins. Egypt and Israel remained technically at war after an armistice agreement ended their 1948-1949 hostilities. Efforts by the United Nations and various states to reach a final peace agreement—especially the so-called Alpha Peace Plan proposed by the United States and Britain in 1954–1955—failed to reach agreement. In an atmosphere of tension, serious clashes on the Egyptian-Israeli border almost caused the resumption of full-scale hostilities in August 1955 and April 1956. After Egypt bought soviet weapons At the end of 1955, sentiment began to grow in Israel to launch a preemptive strike that would damage the position of Egyptian Prime Minister Gamal Abdel Nasser and undermine Egypt's combat capability before it mastered Soviet weapons.

By then, Britain and France were tired of Nasser's challenge to their imperial interests in the Mediterranean basin. Britain viewed Nasser's campaign to withdraw British military forces from Egypt—in accordance with the 1954 agreement—as a blow to its prestige and military capabilities. Nasser's campaign to increase his influence in Jordan, Syria and Iraq convinced the British that he was seeking to clear their influence from the entire region. French officials were irritated by the fact that Nasser supported the Algerian rebels' struggle for independence from France. By early 1956, American and British statesmen had agreed on a top-secret policy, codenamed Omega, aimed at isolating and limiting Nasser's actions through a variety of subtle political and economic measures.

The Suez Crisis erupted in July 1956 when Nasser, left without economic assistance from the United States and Great Britain, retaliated by nationalizing the Suez Canal Company. Nasser took over the British and French-owned firm to demonstrate his independence from the European colonial powers, to avenge the refusal of British and US economic aid, and to reap the company's profits earned in his country. This caused a four-month international crisis, during which Britain and France gradually concentrated their military forces in the region. They warned Nasser that they were prepared to use force to restore their rights to the canal company if he did not relent. British and French officials secretly hoped that this pressure would eventually lead to Nasser's removal from power, with or without military action on their part.

The immediate cause of the crisis was, as it seemed to many political observers at the time, an overly bold step taken by the Egyptian leadership led by President G.A. Nasser, who announced on July 26, 1956 the nationalization of the General Suez Canal Company, which belonged to Anglo-French capital. This act, in turn, was preceded by the decision of Washington, London, as well as International Bank reconstruction and development, refuse to provide Egypt with loans for the construction of the grandiose Aswan Hydraulic Complex. In retaliation, President Nasser “quite logically” decided to find funds to finance the project from revenues from the operation of the Suez Canal passing through Egyptian territory.

The true causes of the crisis were hidden in the West’s dissatisfaction with the “anti-imperialist revolution” in Egypt in 1952-1953, in the “unacceptable” withdrawal of the Egyptian leadership from Western tutelage and its transition to Arab-nationalist positions with an orientation towards the Soviet Union and led by it block of states.

The efforts of leading Western countries after the nationalization of the channel focused on persuading Nasser to disavow this decision. The entire arsenal of political, diplomatic, propaganda and practical means was used: from various kinds of conferences with the participation of canal user countries, numerous meetings at UN headquarters on this issue, influencing public opinion through the media and recalling pilots to direct threats of military intervention . Putting forward various options for solving the problem, the West sought at any cost to preserve the financial trough that was slipping from its hands, but Cairo held on, of course, not without the support of the entire Arab world, the Non-Aligned Movement, and, most importantly, such a military-political giant as the Soviet Union.

So, when considering the causes of the Suez crisis, it is necessary to dwell on the fact that the military conflict occurred as a result of the aggravation of socio-economic and political contradictions between the authorities of Egypt, Israel, the United States and European countries.

1. Israel's desire to weaken Egypt's position in the Middle East.

2. The desire of the Egyptian government to free itself from the influence of England and France.

3. Nationalization of the Suez Canal by Egypt.

US involvement in the 1956 Suez Crisis

It should be recognized that the United States also played a significant role in the “perseverance” of the Egyptian leadership, formally taking a neutral position in the conflict and periodically even sharply criticizing the Franco-British for their “excessive militarism.” Washington was indeed not very pleased with the policy of London and Paris in connection with the Suez crisis, because, firstly, it considered it unacceptable to “disperse” the efforts of its Western allies and divert their attention from the more important crisis for the West in the Soviet bloc that was brewing, not without their help. (due to events in Hungary).

Secondly, he believed that the emerging acute problem in the Middle East was clearly not the right time, since it coincided with the peak of the election campaign for the election of the US President on November 6, 1596. Thirdly, Washington, not unreasonably, regarded the planned military intervention of its Western European allies as plans to create a powerful pro-Western (and anti-Soviet, naturally) bloc of Arab states on the basis of the Baghdad Pact.

At the same time, the United States was aware that London and Paris, which had fundamentally taken the path of forceful pressure on Egypt, would not tolerate American rigidity in relation to the coordinated policy of the “great European powers,” which was very fraught with a crisis in the military-political alliance of NATO .

By this time, Israel, a regional ally of the United States, had already irrevocably, “in company” with England and France, decided to take advantage of the situation to strike Egypt. All this forced Washington, represented by the highly experienced Secretary of State D.-F. Dulles maneuver, which at first caused some surprise among the European allies, and then sharp criticism from the British and French prime ministers E. Eden and G. Mollet, respectively. Looking ahead a little, we emphasize that this behavior of Washington at a critical moment for its European allies was not forgotten by them, especially in Paris, which since then, regardless of what political trends were at the helm of power, has been wary of US policy.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower approached the Suez crisis based on three basic and interrelated premises. First, although he sympathized with the British and French desire to return the company that operated the canal, he did not challenge Egypt's right to take over the company subject to payment of adequate compensation, as required by international law. Eisenhower thus sought to prevent a military confrontation and resolve the canal dispute diplomatically before the Soviet Union exploited the situation for political gain. He instructed Secretary of State John Foster Dulles to resolve the crisis on terms acceptable to Great Britain and France, through public statements, negotiations, two international conferences in London, the creation of the Suez Canal Users Association and discussions at the United Nations. By the end of October, however, these efforts had proven fruitless, and Anglo-French preparations for war continued.

Second, Eisenhower sought to avoid a break with Arab nationalists and included Arab statesmen in his diplomacy to end the crisis. His refusal to support Anglo-French forces against Egypt was partly due to an awareness of the fact that Nasser's confiscation of the canal company was widely popular among his own and other Arab peoples. Indeed, Nasser's surge in popularity in the Arab states blocked Eisenhower's efforts to resolve the canal crisis in partnership with Arab leaders. Saudi and Iraqi leaders rejected US proposals to criticize Nasser's actions or challenge his prestige.

Third, Eisenhower sought to isolate Israel from the canal dispute for fear that mixing the Israeli-Egyptian and Anglo-French-Egyptian conflicts would ignite a fire in the Middle East. In this regard, Dulles denied Israel a voice in the diplomatic conferences convened to resolve the crisis and did not allow Israeli complaints about Egyptian policies to be discussed during United Nations hearings. Sensing increased Israeli belligerence toward Egypt in August and September, Eisenhower arranged for limited arms shipments from the United States, France, and Canada in hopes of reducing the threat to the Israeli situation and thus preventing an Egyptian-Israeli war.

Military actions during the Suez Crisis of 1956

In Western military-historical literature devoted to the Suez crisis, in those years and especially now, the fact of the “incredible patience” that London and Paris were distinguished by, for more than three months, “persuaded” the Egyptians to compromise.

The actual state of affairs, including based on documents and memoirs of Western politicians, speaks rather of systematic preparations for the formation of an Anglo-French-Israeli military coalition that had unfolded even before the decision of the Egyptian president and, most importantly, a thorough development of a scenario for unleashing military actions against the “left out of control" of Egypt.

There were good reasons for this, and from all three coalition participants. For example, London could not forgive Nasser for the withdrawal of British troops from bases in Egypt in 1954-1956. in the Suez Canal zone, which took place to the accompaniment of an anti-British campaign in the Arab media; the forced removal in March 1956 of the English General Glubb, an influential commander of the Arab Legion in Jordan in the Middle East, and the expulsion, not without the assistance of the Egyptians, of British officers from the same country, and much more.

France was extremely irritated not only by the moral, but also by the significant material assistance of Nasser's Egypt to the national liberation movement in Algeria and the subsidizing of the anti-French campaign in other regions of the Arab Maghreb.

The list of Israeli claims against Egypt as the leader of the Arab world was even broader and more significant. By this historical period of time, Tel Aviv, in the context of incessant attacks by “Palestinian terrorists” and the actual blockade of the only exit of the Israeli state to the Red Sea through the Gulf of Aqaba, was ready to use military violence against Egypt. Plans to “punish” Egypt, as we see, were accumulating, and with the nationalization of the canal, a new stage began in preparation for war.

It is noteworthy that at first, the Americans, for example, representatives of the US Embassy in London, were also invited to discuss specific plans for military action against Egypt by the British and French. These facts refute the official statements of the American side that Washington was allegedly not aware of specific plans for the invasion. Moreover, these statements were later denied, for example, by the head of American intelligence, Alain Dulles, the brother of the then US Secretary of State. Analyzing the American position, it should still be recognized that as plans for military action became more concrete, the British and French, and then the Israelis, tried to avoid contacts with their overseas partner on this issue, although this does not mean that Washington was not aware of the real military preparations .

Paris and London developed several options for aggression against Egypt. First, a plan was prepared for Operation Railcar, which provided for the participation of 80 thousand British and French troops in large-scale actions to capture Alexandria and advance on Cairo. An auxiliary landing from the Red Sea to the southern banks of the canal was also considered. However, this plan was rejected, and a replacement was developed new option allied actions to seize the Suez Canal zone, ensure air superiority over all of Egypt, achieving the final result in the form of the overthrow of the military-political leadership led by President Nasser

After a number of changes and clarifications, the final war plan was called "Musketeer", which provided for two phases of action: the neutralization of strategically important objects and targets through massive air strikes throughout Egypt, and then a direct invasion of the canal zone. On September 1, 1956, Paris officially invited its British partners to involve Israel in the war on their side. Initially the British did not agree with this idea.

The fact is that relations between London and Tel Aviv were then strained: London, in the spirit of the UN resolution of November 29, 1947, called on Israel to clear the Arab lands it had seized as a result of the Arab-Israeli War of 1948-1949. However, the British were forced to “forget” about this, changing their position in favor of what they considered to be the joint (Western European-Israeli) invasion plan that was now doomed to success.

Its essence was the initial Israeli aggression against Egypt and the rapid occupation of the Sinai, and then the actions of the Anglo-French troops under the pretext of “separation of the warring parties” with the subsequent consolidation of their presence in the canal zone.

At first, Israeli Prime Minister D. Ben-Gurion expressed his dissatisfaction with Israel’s role as the instigator of the armed conflict. Then, as compensation, he put forward a number of conditions affecting the consolidation of Israel's territorial acquisitions in Jordan and Lebanon, and the transfer of jurisdiction over the Gulf of Aqaba with the subsequent recognition of these decisions by Egypt. However, the British harshly curbed Tel Aviv's appetites, leaving the Israelis to rely on their ability to bargain, but only after the end of what they hoped would be a victorious war. As a result, the secret so-called Treaty of Sèvres was signed, according to which the Israeli part of the joint operation was named “Kadesh”. And yet the Israelis decided to play it safe.

Before striking the group of Egyptian troops in Sinai, the Israeli military command decided to land troops 45 km from the canal, on the Mitla Pass, thereby cutting off the southern rugged part of the Sinai Peninsula from the northern one, followed by reinforcements there by land. In the event of a possible refusal by the allies to satisfy Israel's territorial requests, Tel Aviv believed it would be appropriate to present the actions of its armed forces as just an “anti-partisan raid.”

On the eve of the war, in order to divert attention, Israel conducted a military raid in the West Bank. The ploy worked, and all the attention of the Arab world shifted to Jordan, into whose territory Iraq even sent its division. At the same time, under the guise of exercises, Great Britain and France began transferring their military contingents to Cyprus and Malta. The United States, wanting to monitor and control the situation, began to bring ships of the 6th Fleet to the Eastern Mediterranean from the end of summer.

25 thousand British and the same number of French were to take part in the joint military operation. Taking into account naval and auxiliary forces, the strength of the British-French expeditionary force exceeded 100 thousand people. In total, about 230 thousand soldiers and officers of three countries, 650 aircraft and over 130 warships were concentrated for the intervention.

The Egyptian armed forces on the eve of the invasion numbered 90 thousand people, 430 mostly outdated tanks and 300 self-propelled guns. The Air Force had approximately two hundred aircraft, of which 42 were combat-ready. Of the thirty-thousand-strong group of Egyptian troops on the Sinai Peninsula, only 10 thousand were part of regular units, the rest were in volunteer militia formations.

In general, the number of Israeli troops intended for operations in the Sinai Peninsula outnumbered the Egyptians by one and a half times, and in some areas - by more than three times; British-French troops landing in the Port Said area had more than fivefold superiority over the Egyptians. It should be recognized that these figures indicate the obvious failures of the Egyptian military-political leadership (and its intelligence, in particular), which did not increase the grouping of its troops in the Sinai and in the canal zone in advance.

The Israeli offensive against Egyptian troops in the Sinai Peninsula, which began in accordance with the approved scenario on October 29, 1956, unfolded simultaneously in three directions: along the Mediterranean coast with an auxiliary maneuver to encircle and destroy Egyptian troops in the Gaza region; through the Mitla Pass to Suez and Ismailia; and on a limited scale - along the coasts of the Gulf of Suez and Aqaba. The fighting on the first day of the aggression took place mainly in the southern, Suez direction. On October 29, an Israeli airborne force (from the 202nd Airborne Brigade) was landed in the Mitla Pass area, after which French planes began delivering supplies to it. military equipment, ammunition, fuel, food and water. Deployed to Israel the day before the invasion, 60 French fighter jets bearing Israeli markings but with French crews supported the Israeli ground forces. In total, during the war they flew more than 100 combat missions. At the same time, ships of the British and French fleets headed to the Egyptian shores.

However, for the Israelis, things did not work out quite as they had planned. After landing near the Mitla Pass, the Israelis were faced with active actions by the Egyptian Air Force to support ground troops (Egyptian pilots were trained by Soviet specialists). Unexpectedly, the difficult terrain and the constant breakdown of not entirely new military and auxiliary equipment caused the Israelis a lot of trouble.

By the end of the day on October 30, having completed an almost 300-kilometer march, the rest of the 202nd Airborne Brigade arrived at the pass. She was unable to advance further - to the canal - having encountered organized resistance from only five companies of Egyptians who took up positions along the only passage leading to the canal.

On the night of October 30, the central Israeli group, consisting of the 38th division group, crossed the border with virtually no losses and rushed to the canal, in the direction of Ismailia. However, even here there was no triumphant march. Despite the fact that by November 2 the Israelis managed to push the Egyptians back to the canal and establish a strong connection with the 202nd Airborne Brigade, their losses were unplanned for high - more than 100 people were killed and wounded, including the commander of one of the brigades.

The Northern Group of Israeli Forces, consisting of two brigades, was supposed to occupy northern Sinai and cut off the Gaza Strip. During heavy two-day battles, the opposing Egyptian reinforced infantry brigade was dismembered, in which the powerful fire of the French cruiser Georges Legy provided significant assistance. And here the Israelis suffered significant losses: more than 200 killed and wounded, although in general the task was completed. To this should be added about a hundred more killed and wounded during the capture of the Gaza Strip, defended by Palestinians and Egyptians, on November 3.

On November 2, an Israeli infantry brigade began moving to the south with the goal of occupying Sharm el-Sheikh (near the Red Sea). The next day, units of this formation encountered fierce resistance from the Arabs, but after receiving reinforcements, including from the 202nd brigade, which approached the city from the west, the task was completed with minimal losses this time (10 people killed and 32 wounded). Moreover, Israeli aviation, supporting its ground forces, used napalm for the first time against the defenders of Sharm el-Sheikh. On November 5, Israeli troops occupied the Saudi-owned islands of Tiran and Sanafir in the Strait of Tiran, taking full control of it.

Invading Egypt, the Israelis and their European partners correctly chose a “sensitive point” of the Egyptian war machine- troop control system. Having launched air and sea strikes on command posts and communications centers, the allies “caused real chaos in Egyptian command and control at all levels.” This, mainly the Arabs, later explained the relatively low stamina of their military personnel directly on the battlefield. In the air, in addition to more or less successfully completing missions to support ground forces, the Egyptian Air Force performed mediocrely, having irretrievably lost 4 MiG-15s and 4 Vampires in the first 48 hours of the war. On delivered to Egypt Soviet bombers Il-28 Egyptian pilots were also never able to accurately complete the tasks assigned to them. The destroyer Ibrahim al-Awwal of the Egyptian Navy shelled the port of Haifa on October 30, without causing serious damage to the Israelis, but the next day the destroyer was attacked from the air and surrendered to the enemy without resistance. This, in fact, was the extent of the Egyptian naval participation in the war.

Meanwhile, just 24 hours after the invasion of the Sinai by Israeli troops, Great Britain and France, in accordance with the script, presented an ultimatum to the “warring parties”: withdraw troops 10 miles from the canal and allow Franco-British troops to temporarily occupy the Suez Canal zone as a “separating force.” The curious thing about the situation was that the Israelis were still 30 miles from the canal, but it seems that no one expected that the ultimatum would be accepted.

Having not received consent to their demands, on the evening of October 31, the British and French began massive raids on Egyptian airfields and other military and civilian targets. The air operation continued until November 5. 2,000 sorties were flown. However, the coalition allies faced unforeseen circumstances. Thus, the planes that were already ready to take off had to be cleared due to the fact that the reconnaissance of targets was carried out poorly. In addition, the bombers intended to attack the main and largest air base of the Egyptian Air Force, Cairo West, had to be reoriented, since US Air Force planes were landing there to evacuate American citizens.

During the conflict, the Americans repeatedly surprised their European allies not only in the political arena, but also in the theater of military operations. For example, a US Navy submarine disrupted the battle formation of the French operational forces with its appearance, as a result of which the allies had to stop maneuvering and force it to surface so as not to accidentally ram it. A little later, an aircraft carrier strike group of the US Navy, led by the aircraft carrier Coral Sea, did not coordinate its actions with a similar British one, as a result of which not only ships, but also aircraft almost collided. An even more unpleasant incident occurred within the coalition itself, when on November 3, an Israeli plane attacked a British cruiser near Sharm el-Sheikh, which brought British-Israeli military ties to the brink of rupture and caused the British to demand the exclusion of Israeli officers from the joint allied headquarters.

Meanwhile, Allied air raids on Egyptian targets continued, albeit with rather poor precision bombing. The conditions for the actions of Franco-British aviation were very favorable. It was especially important that President Nasser, considering his pilots to be much worse trained than their Western opponents, gave instructions to avoid air battles with them and concentrate entirely on the confrontation with the Israeli Air Force. There were only isolated aerial victories of the Egyptians over the Franco-British.

In general, the Egyptians suffered significant losses both in manpower and equipment. However, it was still far from achieving the set goal - the overthrow of the Nasser regime. To bring the plan to its logical conclusion, Great Britain and France launched an invasion by ground forces. It began with airborne assaults carried out by the Franco-British from bases in Cyprus. On November 5, with air support, the British parachute brigade captured Port Said, and the French landing brigades captured Port Fuad. On the night of November 6, an amphibious landing began on the captured bridgeheads, supported by 122 warships arriving from Malta and Toulon.

With the growth of Anglo-French-Israeli aggression, the Egyptian leadership wavered and turned for urgent help to Moscow, which, being completely occupied with Hungarian events, at first limited itself to warnings to Paris and London. Egyptian resistance on the battlefield declined sharply. The Franco-British were preparing to occupy the central part by November 8, and the southern part of the canal zone by November 12. But these plans were not destined to come true. The USA and the USSR, relying on the UN mechanism, finally stopped the war through joint efforts. On November 6, 7 and 8, the British, French and Israeli leaders respectively ordered a ceasefire.

To this day, military analysts and historians argue about whose contribution to the completion of the military campaign was more significant - Moscow or Washington. Mainly domestic, and earlier Arab researchers, in favor of the decisive role of the Soviet contribution cite the USSR’s readiness to send to the combat zone regular troops under the guise of volunteers, which “scared” the Franco-British. Western, mainly American, analysts reject the reality of this version, arguing that Washington would never have allowed military action by the USSR against NATO allies, which it allegedly notified Moscow about.

In their opinion, in addition to “friendly” political pressure, financial and economic pressure from Washington played a role, namely the threat to freeze British financial reserves in US banks and thereby sharply weaken the British currency. In addition, Washington promised to compensate Paris and London for losses in obtaining Middle Eastern oil. And in the British Commonwealth, a deep crisis arose in connection with the military intervention, and to the disappointment of London, “tested” allies in the past - Canada and Australia - took a sharply anti-British position.

Be that as it may, military operations were stopped. By December 22, 1956, Britain and France withdrew their troops, and Israel, resorting to various tricks, was forced to withdraw from Sinai in March 1957, destroying and destroying all military infrastructure on the peninsula. On November 15, 1956, UN forces began to be stationed in the canal zone. The concept of UN peacekeeping was developed by the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs L. Pearson, for which he even received a Nobel Prize peace (this concept in many ways became the standard for all subsequent similar UN actions).

Naturally, the heaviest losses were suffered by the victim of aggression - Egypt: 3,000 military personnel and almost as many civilians were killed. Losses in military equipment were also enormous. Israeli losses were about 200 killed, and four times as many wounded. Britain and France suffered a total of 320 casualties. The Allies claimed the loss of five aircraft.

Shocked by the sudden prospect of global conflict, Eisenhower also acted quickly to prevent it. He applied political and financial pressure on the warring parties to pass a UN ceasefire resolution on November 6, which came into force the next day. He supported efforts by UN officials to urgently use the UN Emergency Force in Egypt. The tension gradually subsided. British and French forces departed Egypt in December, and after difficult negotiations, Israeli forces withdrew from Sinai by March 1957.

Consequences of the Suez crisis of 1956

The Suez crisis, although quickly resolved, had a major impact on the balance of power in the Middle East and on the commitments that the United States made in the region. This tarnished British and French prestige among the Arab states and consequently undermined the traditional authority of these European powers over the region. In contrast, Nasser not only survived the test, but increased his prestige among the Arab peoples as a leader who challenged European empires and survived Israeli military invasion. The remaining pro-Western regimes in the region should have warded off the actions of Nasser's supporters. Although Nasser showed no immediate inclination to become a client of the Soviet Union, American officials feared that Soviet threats to European allies improved Moscow's image in the eyes of the Arab states. And the prospect of establishing an Arab-Israeli peace in the foreseeable future seemed zero.

Reacting to these consequences of the Suez War, the President announced the Eisenhower Doctrine in early 1957, completely new policy regional security. Proposed in January and approved by Congress in March, the doctrine assured that the United States would provide economic and military assistance and, if necessary, use military force to contain communism in the Middle East. To implement this plan, Special Presidential Envoy James P. Richards toured the region distributing tens of millions of dollars in economic and military aid to Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Libya.

Although it was never officially recognized, the Eisenhower Doctrine guided US policy in three political disputes. In the spring of 1957, the President provided economic aid to Jordan and sent American warships to the eastern Mediterranean to help King Hussein quell a rebellion among pro-Egyptian army officers. In late 1957, Eisenhower encouraged Turkey and other friendly states to consider an invasion of Syria to prevent the local radical regime from increasing its power. When the violent revolution in Baghdad in July 1958 threatened to spark similar uprisings in Lebanon and Jordan, Eisenhower finally ordered American soldiers occupy Beirut and organize supplies for British troops occupying Jordan. These measures, unprecedented in the history of American policy towards the Arab states, made clear Eisenhower's intention to accept responsibility for preserving Western interests in the Middle East.

The Suez crisis was a watershed in the history of American foreign policy. By upending traditional Western ideas about Anglo-French hegemony in the Middle East, deepening the problems created by the revolutionary nationalism that Nasser personified, exacerbating the Arab-Israeli conflict and threatening to Soviet Union pretext for infiltration into the region, the Suez Crisis brought the United States into significant, serious, and sustained involvement in Middle Eastern affairs.

Some interesting facts about the Suez Canal:

Construction of the canal lasted 10 years from 1859 to 1869, instead of 6 years originally planned;

The length of the canal in 1869 was 163 kilometers, width - 60 meters, depth - 8 meters;

Over the entire period, 1.5 million workers took part in the construction of the canal, of whom 120 thousand died;

According to the project, the initial cost of the canal was 200 million francs, by 1872 it reached 475 million francs, and in 1892 it amounted to 576 million francs;

The 19th century French franc is roughly equal to 2013 US dollars;

One share of the Suez Canal Company was sold at 500 francs before construction began, and in 1881 the share price reached a record high of 3,475 francs;

In 1881, dividends of 112.14 francs were paid per share.

Cities on the Suez Canal

During the construction of the Suez Canal, settlements, many of whom grew up on the site of workers' settlements. Among the major cities on the Suez Canal are: Port Said, Port Fuad, Suez and Ismailia. Currently, most of the population living on their territory is involved in maintaining the Suez Canal.

Port Said city on the Suez Canal

Port Said is a city in northeastern Egypt. A port on the Mediterranean Sea at the northern end of the Suez Canal. The city provides maintenance to the Suez Canal and also refueles passing ships. The city was founded in 1859 on a sand spit separating the Mediterranean Sea from the salty coastal lake Manzala. Originally built as part of the canal infrastructure. It quickly developed as a duty-free port. The city has preserved many houses built in the 19th century.

The city is divided into 5 administrative districts: Zuhur, Sharq, Manah, Arab and Dawahi. The chemical and food industries, cigarette production and fishing are well developed in Port Said. However, the main purpose of the city is closely related to the Suez Canal. This major Egyptian port exports rice and cotton. The canal is also maintained and refueled for passing ships. In the Port Said area, the Suez Canal bifurcates to allow two-way traffic for ships.

The city was founded in 1859 and named after Said Pasha, who was the ruler of Egypt at that time. The economic base of the city consists of fishing and industry: chemical production, food processing, cigarette production. Port Said is also the starting point for Egypt's exports of cotton and rice. In August 1882, Port Said was occupied by British troops. Since that time, Port Said has been one of the centers of the anti-British anti-imperialist movement; from 1921 to 1954, more than one uprising took place here.

On November 5-6, 1956, during the Anglo-French-Israeli aggression against Egypt, fierce battles took place in Port Said with the Anglo-French landing force. The heroic defense of the city thwarted plans to capture Egypt. Under pressure from the international community, Great Britain, France and Israel withdrew their troops.

On December 23, 1956, Port Said was completely liberated. More than two and a half thousand Egyptians died in the battle for Port Said.

Port Said is recognized as a free economic zone. The special position of the city contributed to the creation of a highly developed transport network in the region and its transformation into a vibrant trading city. An extensive network of railways has been created in the region. The airport of the same name is located approximately 8 kilometers from the city. An international highway connects Port Said with the capital of Egypt, Cairo, and another road of national importance goes to Dumyat and further along the Mediterranean coast.

Port Said is also a resort that is visited by a large number of tourists every year. The swimming season here lasts from May to October. However soft weather allow you to sunbathe even in winter. The city has a wide variety of restaurants and cafes; their signature dishes are prepared from seafood.

It is noteworthy that the Statue of Liberty, which is a symbol of the United States, was originally planned to be installed in Port Said under the name Light of Asia, but the country's leadership decided that transporting the structure from France and installing it was too expensive.

The main attractions of Port Said include the Suez Canal embankment and the National Museum located on it with examples of Egyptian culture from pre-Pharaonic times to the present day. A similar museum of Egyptian civilization in Cairo is only in the process of being created. In addition, the city has preserved several charming churches - Coptic Orthodox and Franciscan.

War Museum

Opened in 1964, the Port Said Military Museum consists of several halls with exhibitions on: the battles of the Pharaohs, the 1956 invasion, and the wars against Israel (1967 and 1973). In addition, here you can see all kinds of photos, documents, bas-reliefs, paintings, statues, models.

Hotels and restaurants

Although Port Said is also considered beach resort, and boasts a couple of sandy beaches, this city remains undeveloped in terms of mass tourism. Which, by the way, has a beneficial effect on the quality of services in local hotels. The cost of accommodation per night here is much lower than in the popular cities of Egypt, but the service is much higher.

There are also plenty of cafes, restaurants and all sorts of eateries here, many of them boasting picturesque views of the Suez Canal.

Money, communication and information

You can exchange currency and withdraw cash at the Banque du Caire and the National Bank of Egypt, and cash travel checks at the Thomas Cook office (8:00-16.30pm), which is located next to the gas station. Sharia Palestine has Amex (9:00-14:00 and 18:30-20:00 Sun-Thu), post office (8:30-14:30), telephone center (24 hours) and information office (9:00-18: 00 Sat-Thu, 9:00-14:00 Fri). Internet access can be found at Compu.Net (per hour £3; 9:00-00:00) opposite the post office.

How to get there

Uncomfortable trains (18 pounds in second class, journey time 5 hours) connect Port Said with Cairo, so it is better to take a bus (15-20 pounds, journey time 3 hours, departure every hour). There are also buses to Alexandria (£20-22, 4 hours), Luxor (£60, 12-13 hours) and Hurghada (£45, 7½ hours). A taxi from the bus station to the city center (3 km) costs £5; taxi in the city center - 2 pounds. The fare is as of April 2011.

The city of Port Fuad on the Suez Canal

Port Fuad is a city in northeastern Egypt. A port on the Mediterranean Sea at the northern end of the Suez Canal. It is located on the opposite bank of the Suez Canal from Port Said, with which it forms an agglomeration. Port Fuad was founded in 1927, mainly to relieve overcrowding in Port Said, and was named after King Fuad I, the first holder of the title of King of Egypt in the modern era (previously held the title of Sultan of Egypt). The city is located on a triangular island bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, the Suez Canal to the west, and the relatively new canal between the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. Most residents' work is related to the Suez Canal.

After the 1967 war, Port Fuad was the only place in the Sinai Peninsula held by the Egyptians. Israel attempted to capture Port Fuad several times during the War of Attrition, but was unsuccessful each time. During the Yom Kippur War, Port Fuad and the surrounding areas were preserved. Based on the Camp David Accords in 1978, Israel agreed to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt peacefully, and the countries later signed a peace treaty. Today Port Fuad is one of the main air defense positions in Egypt.

City of Suez on the Suez Canal

Suez is a city and major port in northeastern Egypt. Located at the northern tip of the Gulf of Suez of the Red Sea, at the southern entrance to the Suez Canal. The city has two harbours: Port Ibrahim and Port Taufi.

In the 7th century, near modern Suez there was the eastern end of the canal connecting the Red Sea with the Nile. After the construction of the Suez Canal in 1859, the city acquired the status of an important international port. It was heavily damaged during the Arab-Israeli war in October 1973. Rebuilt after 1975.

The main attraction of the city is the Suez Canal itself, connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The canal zone is considered a conditional border between Africa and Eurasia. Since April 1980, a road tunnel has been operating in the city, passing under the canal and notable for its monumentality. From Suez you can go on a trip to the Little and Great Bitter Lakes. The new history of Egypt is intertwined with the history of the Arab-Israeli conflicts, and this also affects the holiday calendar. One of the most important dates is the end of the war in 1973, which is celebrated on October 24. This holiday has another name - the Day of the Capture of Suez, and in this city it is celebrated on a particularly large scale.

In the city's restaurants you can taste traditional local cuisine - dishes made from beans (for example, ful and filyafiliya) and meat (kebab, kofta, stuffed pigeon). The most popular vegetable is eggplant, and rice is served as a side dish. A good souvenir from Suez can be a painting or photograph with views of the world famous canal.

Ismailia city on the Suez Canal

Ismailia is a city in northeastern Egypt on the shores of Lake Timsah, part of the Suez Canal system. Population 254 thousand people (1996), 374 thousand people (2005). The 130 km long shipping canal connecting the Suez Canal (near the city) with the Nile (near Cairo) is also called the Ismailia Canal.

Ismailia is located on the banks of the Suez Canal approximately 120 km east of Cairo. Although the city is not one of the most famous tourist places Egypt, hidden here great prospects for tourism. Ismailia offers various tempting attractions for tourists to explore.

Ismailia is replete with a mixture of ancient cultural influences, from historical period pharaohs to the Roman Empire. Areas such as Tal Al Mashota, Tal Al Azba and East Qantara are just some of the surrounding areas of significant historical value. The Ismailia Local History Museum is one of the must-see attractions in the city.

Tourists who are already tired of visiting museums can relax and unwind at Mallaha Park. Lake Timsah in the city of Ismailia also offers pristine beaches, calm waters, plenty of activities and sports competitions.

The weather in Ismailia is comfortable due to the city's location on Lake Timsah and its good layout. Ismailia has many gardens and parks; it is a blooming oasis among hot and windy deserts. Winters here are warm and summers are hot, and your wardrobe should take this into account. In summer, light-colored clothing is preferable; sunglasses and hats should protect you from the sun. You can also bring band-aids, sun lotions, and wet wipes. For winter, bring a light jacket.

Bridges and tunnels on the Suez Canal

After the construction of the Suez Canal, the need arose to create infrastructure to connect its banks. Since 1981, a road tunnel has been operating near the city of Suez, passing under the bottom of the Suez Canal, connecting Sinai and continental Africa. In addition to the technical excellence that made it possible to create such a complex engineering project, this tunnel attracts with its monumentality, is of great strategic importance and is rightfully considered a landmark of Egypt.

On October 9, 2001, a new bridge was opened in Egypt. Hosni Mubarak on the highway connecting the cities of Port Said and Ismailia. The opening ceremony of the bridge was attended by then Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Before the opening of the Millau Viaduct, this structure was the highest cable-stayed bridge in the world. The height of the bridge is 70 meters. Construction lasted 4 years, one Japanese and two Egyptian took part in it. construction companies.

In 2001, traffic was opened on the El Ferdan railway bridge, 20 km north of the city of Ismailia. It is the longest swing bridge in the world; its two swing sections have a total length of 340 meters. The previous bridge was destroyed in 1967 during the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Hosni Mubarak Bridge over the Suez Canal

Bridge over the Suez Canal. Hosni Mubarak is a cable-stayed road bridge built in 2001. It crosses the Suez Canal and connects Asia with Africa.

El Ferdan Railway Bridge over the Suez Canal

El Ferdan is a railway swing bridge over the Suez Canal, located in the vicinity of the Egyptian city of Ismailia.

It is the longest swing bridge in the world (length - 340 meters). The bridge connects the eastern bank of the Suez Canal with the western (Sinai Peninsula). El Ferdan replaced an old bridge that was destroyed during the Six Day War in 1967.

Most of the time, the bridge is raised to allow ships to pass through and closed directly to allow trains to pass through.

Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel under the Suez Canal

The Ahmed Hamdi Tunnel is a road tunnel under the Suez Canal. The tunnel is located in the southwestern part of the Sinai Peninsula, and administratively connects the peninsula with the African mainland. It is located at an angle relative to the channel, and with a slight rounding it lies from northwest to southeast.

Entry and exit are carried out through specialized checkpoints located on both sides of the tunnel. Both the tunnel itself and the surrounding area are tightly guarded by Egyptian police forces, as well as specialized units of the armed forces of the Republic.

The tunnel is physically located under the bottom of the sea channel, respectively, much below the level of the World Ocean. The tunnel is 1.63 km long and 11.6 m in diameter. Depth relative to the level of the World Ocean: −53.6 m. Above the ceiling of the deepest point of the tunnel lies 47 meters of rock and sea water. The tunnel has one lane in each direction.

The tunnel was originally built by the British government in 1983. However, the seepage of salt water through the reinforced concrete covering was noticed soon after construction was completed, and raised many practical questions for the engineers. Salt water quickly corroded the steel and deteriorated the concrete, leading to systematic problems and serious deterioration of the finish.

In 1992, according to the project of the Japanese government, work began on the reconstruction of the tunnel. During the reconstruction process, new systems for monitoring and operating the tunnel were introduced. To get rid of accumulated water, powerful pumping systems were installed at its base - drainage and waste. An additional reinforced concrete tunnel covering was built inside the original one.

Lakes on the Suez Canal

The Suez Canal includes several lakes: Great Bitter Lake, Little Bitter Lake and Lake Timsah, which are located between the northern and southern parts of the canal.

Great Bitter Lake as part of the Suez Canal

The Great Bitter Lake is a lake in Egypt. Located between the northern and southern parts of the Suez Canal. The area of ​​the lake is about 250 km². Since the canal does not have locks, water from the Red and Mediterranean seas freely replenishes the water that evaporates from the surface of the lake.

Since the Six-Day War in 1967, when the canal's operations were suspended until 1975, 14 vessels have been trapped in the lake. These ships were named the Yellow Fleet after the color of the sand that covered their decks. The Suez Canal was blocked due to the deliberate sinking of several ships in the channel by Israeli troops. Replacement crews remained on the blocked ships until the “opening” of the canal on June 5, 1975.

In October 1967, all 14 captains and crews gathered on board the British motor ship Melampus and founded the Great Bitter Lake Association. Its main goals were to maintain and develop friendly relations, mutual assistance, and also to conduct joint events.

Small Bitter Lake as part of the Suez Canal

Small Bitter Lake is a salt lake in Egypt, located between the northern and southern parts of the Suez Canal. From the south it adjoins the Great Bitter Lake. Area about 30 km². The shores are sandy, on the eastern side they are completely deserted.

At the beginning of the Yom Kippur War of 1973, the 130th Brigade of the Egyptian Army was transferred from Alexandria to the Xloof camp in the Kabrit region on the western shore of the Little Bitter Lake, after which it crossed the lake.

Lake Timsah as part of the Suez Canal

Timsah is a lake in Egypt, located approximately in the middle of the Isthmus of Suez.

Lake Timsah is now adjacent to the Suez Canal. During the construction of the canal, the city of Ismailia was founded on its banks, which now houses the board of the Suez Canal Authority. Before the construction of the canal, Lake Timsakh was one of the internal, small lakes of Sinai. After the construction of the Suez Canal, water began to flow into the lake. sea ​​water from it, and fresh water from the Ismail Canal. In 1870, the depth of Lake Timsah at its deepest places reached 22 feet (according to Wilhelm David Koner “Gegenwärtige Tiefe des Suez-Canals” (1870). The name of the lake translates as Lake of Crocodiles.

The city of Ismailia now lies on the western shore of the lake, and there are several beaches on its southeastern shore. The eastern part of Lake Timsakh flows into the Suez Canal. Until the construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1966, which protects Egypt from Nile floods, previously Lake Timsakh was annually reached by river waters that flooded Wadi Timulat, which stretches directly from the Nile Delta to Lake Timsakh. The first canal connecting the lakes with the Delta was laid 4 thousand years ago, during the Middle Kingdom.

After the outbreak of the Six-Day War in 1967, the American tanker Observer was imprisoned in Lake Timsah for many years.

Sources and links

historybook.at.ua - Blog “History Books”

dic.academic.ru – Glossary of terms

ru.wikipedia.org – Free encyclopedia

ria.ru - Rian news

infoglaz.ru – Blog “Infoglaz”

tonkosti.ru - Encyclopedia of tourism

calend.ru - Events Calendar website

diletant.ru - Website "Delitant"

flot.com – Russian Navy

i-fakt.ru - Interesting facts

SUEZ CANAL

SUEZ CANAL

waterway of international importance. Length - 161 km from Port Said (Mediterranean Sea) to Suez (Red Sea). Includes the canal itself and several lakes. Built in 1869, width 120-318 m, depth on the fairway - 18 m, no locks. The volume of transportation is 80 million tons, mainly oil and oil products, ferrous and non-ferrous ores. It is considered a conditional geogr. border between Africa and Asia.

Concise geographical dictionary. EdwART. 2008.

Suez Canal

(Suez Canal), a navigable, lockless canal in Egypt, connects Red sea at Mr. Suez with Mediterranean Sea at Mr. Port Said , crossing Isthmus of Suez . Opened in 1869 (construction lasted 11 years). The authors of the project are French and Italian engineers (Linan, Mougel, Negrelli). Nationalized in 1956, before that it belonged to the Anglo-French General Suez Canal Company. As a result of the Arab-Israeli military conflicts, shipping through the canal was interrupted twice - in 1956–57 and 1967–75. It is laid along the Isthmus of Suez and crosses a number of lakes: Manzala, Timsah and Bol. Gorky. To supply the canal zone with river water from the Nile, the Ismailia canal was dug. The canal route is considered a conditional geographical border between Asia and Africa. Length 161 km (173 km including sea approaches). After reconstruction, the width is 120–318 m, the depth is 16.2 m. On average, it passes per day. up to 55 ships: two caravans in the south and one in the north. Medium. channel travel time – approx. 14 hours. 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. For Egypt, the operation of the S. k. is the second most important source of income for the country.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Ekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of academician. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

Suez Canal

a lock-free shipping canal in Egypt, on the border between Asia and Africa, connects the Red Sea near the city of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea near the city of Port Said. The shortest waterway between the ports of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Opened in 1869 (construction lasted 11 years). Nationalized in 1956, before that it belonged to the Anglo-French General Suez Canal Company. It is laid along the deserted Suez Isthmus and crosses a number of lakes, including the Big Gorky. To supply the canal zone with river water from the Nile, the Ismailia canal was dug. Dl. Suez Canal 161 km (173 km including sea approaches), width. (after reconstruction) 120–318 m, depth. 16.2 m. Per day passes on Wed. up to 55 ships - two caravans in the south, one in the north. The average time for passing the canal is approx. 14 hours.

Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Edited by prof. A. P. Gorkina. 2006 .

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 the canal, the main channel of which runs almost straight from north to south and separates the main part of the territory 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 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 It is supplied to the Suez Isthmus area from the Nile via 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.
The first canals on the Isthmus of Suez. 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. 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 Amr undertook, 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, was then considered unrealistic, based on the conclusions of Leper, an engineer whom Napoleon commissioned to conduct research on the canal project. But Leper’s conclusions were erroneous due to the misconception he accepted on faith about the difference in the water surface levels of the Mediterranean and Red Seas (allegedly in the Mediterranean it was 9 m lower than in the Red).
Modern channel. In 1854, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the French consul in Egypt, received from Said Pasha, the ruler of Egypt, a concession to create the Universal Suez Canal Company (La Compagnie Universelle du Canal Maritime de Suez). It was formed in 1858. Work on the construction of the canal began in April 1859, while at the same time a freshwater canal was being laid from Cairo to Ismailia. 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.
The opening of navigation along the canal took place on November 17, 1869. 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 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.
International importance of the channel. The importance of the canal was recognized by the leading powers of the world in the Constantinople Convention of 1888, which guaranteed the passage of ships of all countries through it in conditions of peace and war. The Turks allowed Italian ships to pass through the canal even during the Italo-Turkish War of 1911 (during Russian-Turkish war 1877–1878 the canal was closed to Russian ships). Serious problems on these issues did not arise during both world wars. However, after the establishment of the State of Israel (1948), Egypt detained ships traveling through the canal to or from Israel and confiscated their cargo. There were no military fortifications in the canal zone, but British troops had been in Egypt since 1882. Before the nationalization of the canal, its administration consisted mainly of the British and French. Then the Egyptians began to control the canal.
LITERATURE
Perminov P.V. Sphinx smile. M., 1985

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is located in Egypt (cm. Egypt), laid across the Isthmus of Suez, connects the Red Sea near the city of Suez with the Mediterranean Sea near the city of Port Said. In ancient times, there was a connecting route from the Mediterranean Sea along the Nile and several canals to the Red Sea. According to ancient chronicles, the Suez Canal was built by King Darius. This is also confirmed by the inscriptions of Darius on the stones, which stand 20 km north of Suez. Darius's route ran along the western bank of the modern canal.
The canal was in decline after the 2nd century. BC BC, restored by the Roman Emperor Trajan. For 2 centuries, Roman ships sailed along it to the shores of Arabia and India. After the conquest of Egypt by Byzantium, the canal did not operate from the mid-9th century until the mid-19th century. During new history The idea of ​​digging a canal across the isthmus was repeatedly expressed, but all attempts ended in failure, since the difference in water levels in the two seas was too large (9.9 m). Only Ferdinand de Lesseps, an engineer and French consul in Egypt, managed to begin construction of the canal in 1859. It was supposed to go from Suez, inspect its harbor, and then go to Pelusay. In the final version of the project, it was decided to move the northern mouth of the canal to where the Port Said harbor subsequently appeared in honor of the Khedive of Egypt.
Construction was successfully completed by 1869, and the Suez Canal opened on October 4, 1869. F. de Lesseps organized an unprecedented ceremony for 6 thousand guests. Composer Giuseppe Verdi was commissioned to perform an opera for the grand opening of the canal and the new Italian theater in Cairo. This is how the immortal “Aida” was created. The next day, 48 flag-decorated ships set sail through the canal in a pre-arranged order. The French Empress Eugenie, as an honored guest, sailed on the first ship. Many crowned heads of Europe and other continents took part in the celebrations. And then the efficient travel agent Thomas Cook organized a tourist trip through the new channel. So, with fireworks, dancing, music, the Suez Canal was transferred to public use.
Thanks to the Suez Canal, the long and dangerous journey around Africa for ships traveling from Europe to the East was significantly shortened. Important economically and strategically, the canal from the very beginning fell into the sphere of interests of the great powers, especially Great Britain and France. In 1875, the government of the English Prime Minister B. Disraeli acquired shares of the Suez Canal Company from the Egyptian Khedive. Since 1880, the management of the Suez Canal was carried out by the Anglo-French “General Suez Canal Company”. Nasser's nationalization of the company that owned the Suez Canal caused a crisis in 1956. Nasser responded to Israel's occupation of the Sinai Peninsula with a blockade of the canal, which was lifted only in 1975. This route today handles 14% of all world trade traffic. The length of the canal is 162.5 km, and its channel has been expanded and deepened several times. About 50 ships pass through the canal every day. This takes 14-16 hours. In the Port Said area, as in three other places, the canal bifurcates to allow two-way traffic for ships.

Encyclopedia of tourism Cyril and Methodius. 2008 .

See what the "SUET CANAL" is in other dictionaries:

Suez Canal- - navigable lockless sea canal on northeast Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The Suez Canal is the shortest waterway between the ports of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans (8-15 thousand kilometers less than the route around Africa) ... Encyclopedia of Newsmakers

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Coordinates: 30°42′18″ N. w. 32°20′39″ E. d. / 30.705° n. w. 32.344167° E. d. ... Wikipedia

Navigable lockless sea canal to the northeast of the UAR; connects the Mediterranean and Red Seas; the most important link in the international communications: provides the shortest route between the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific ca. Dl. OK. 161 km (together with sea approaches,... ... Soviet historical encyclopedia