Suez Canal

The canal runs 193 kilometres from Port Said on the Mediterranean to Suez on the Red Sea, cut at sea level with no locks because the two seas are close enough in height, using the chain of lakes along the isthmus to save digging. It opened in 1869 after ten years of work and it carries a large share of world container traffic, with a second parallel channel opened along part of the route in 2015 to let convoys pass. For a visitor the appeal is peculiar and specific: from the towns and the ferry crossings, enormous ships appear to move through the desert, sliding past palm trees and streets at a few knots with no water visible from some angles. Convoys are scheduled, so the traffic comes in waves rather than continuously.

History

In 1830 General Francis Chesney reported to the British government that the two seas lay at the same level and a canal was feasible, but his report was ignored, and for decades post and passengers to India went by Lieutenant Waghorn's Overland Route through Egypt. Linant de Bellefonds, chief engineer of Egypt's public works, surveyed the isthmus and drew up canal plans; the Saint-Simonian Barthelemy Prosper Enfantin tried in 1833 to win over Muhammad Ali, and in 1846 his study society brought in experts including Robert Stephenson, Alois Negrelli and Paul-Adrien Bourdaloue, whose survey gave the first generally accepted proof that there was no practical difference in level. Britain preferred a railway from Alexandria via Cairo to Suez, which Stephenson built. In 1854 and 1856 Ferdinand de Lesseps obtained concessions from Sa'id Pasha for a company to build a canal open to ships of all nations and run it for 99 years, and an international commission of 13 experts from seven countries approved a detailed plan in December 1856. De Lesseps formed the Compagnie de Suez in 1858, work went on from 1859 to 1869, and the canal officially opened on 17 November 1869, a sea-level route of 193.3 km between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea (Wikipedia, Suez Canal).

What's there

• Ships crossing the desert - hulls above the bank with no water in view.
• Convoy passages - the scheduled waves of traffic rather than a constant flow.
• Free ferry crossings - short trips over the channel between convoys.
• The bypass channel - the parallel cut opened in 2015 for two-way traffic.

When to go

October to April for comfort. Convoy times shift, so ask locally in the morning for when ships will pass. A day allows a crossing and a good watching session. Ismailia and Port Said are the easiest viewing towns.

Good to know

Photography is restricted along much of the canal and near port installations, and cameras draw official attention; take advice locally. There is no dedicated visitor infrastructure and no viewing platform. If you arrive between convoys you may wait hours to see anything. The banks are largely closed to the public.

Nearby

Ismailia is at the midpoint; Port Said and Suez sit at the two ends.

Key facts