The first canal of the pharaoh led from the Red Sea north and west to an ancient, now dry-branch of the Nile River, which flowed into the Mediterranean Sea.
It has been estimated as being built in the reign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Sestostris I who died in 1926 BC.
This canal was still in use during the reign of Seti I in 1290 BC. It was well-travelled by Egyptians traders for more than 1000 years, but eventually strong desert winds piles sand in the canal and it fell into disuse.
The Pharaoh Necho of the XXVIth dynasty, who ruled Egypt between 609 and 593 BC started to build a new canal from the Pelusiac branch of the Nile through the way of Wadi Tumulat, a natural depression running east and west between the Nile Delta and perpendicular to the Isthmus of Suez.
In the early 1850s the French diplomat and engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps revived earlier French plans to build a canal through the Isthmus of Suez.
He read about the discovery of traces of the ancient canal. It sparked in him to desire to create a modern canal that would provide a direct connection between East and West.
In November 1854, De Lesseps presented his plan to Mohammed Said, Egyptian viceroy. Mohammed Said gave a French company the right to build a canal across Suez. He gave the company a ninety-nine year charter to run the canal.
In April 1859, after having raised only half of the estimated $40 million he needed, the constructions began.
On 26 July 1956, Gamal Nasser of Egypt declared that the Egyptian would nationalized and run the Suez Canal which a British-French investment company owned.
History of Suez Canal
