History Channel: Modern Marvels - Suez Canal

The Isthmus of Suez has been a trade gateway between the East and West for millennia. The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 permanently bridged the gap between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.

But the Canal did far more than simplify trade. In many ways, it was an embodiment of everything that defined the world during the Industrial Revolution--a technological triumph of grand vision; a colossal exploitation of a "backward" nation; and an incredible windfall for the wealthy financiers behind it. Conceived by its prime mover and chief architect, Ferdinand De Lesseps, as a project funded by the world, built by the Egyptians and open to ships of all nations, it turned out somewhat differently. It would be a hundred years before the Egyptians saw a penny of profit from the canal, and its construction led directly to the nation's 75 years under British rule.

Since the ancient pharaohs' time, the Isthmus of Suez has been the gateway to trade between East and West. It's thought that the pharaohs could connect the Red Sea with the Mediterranean using a system of small canals; but the desert sands buried them. Not until mid-19th century did mankind readdress the problem. Since its completion in 1869, the Suez Canal has been a vital link in world trade and a point of controversy in geopolitics. Today, more than 20,000 ships transit the canal yearly.

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Genre:

• Documentaries

Labels:

• AE Home Video

Product Groupings:

• The History Channel

Product Series:

• A&E / History Channel DVD Clearance Sale