Suez Canal inaugurated in Egypt
- When
- 1869
- Where
- Suez Canal
- Episodes
- 1
The Suez Canal officially opened on 17 November 1869, marking the completion of a major artificial waterway in Egypt. The inauguration featured elaborate ceremonies beginning in Port Said, culminating in a ceremonial procession of ships entering the canal. Key figures included Khedive Isma'il Pasha and Ferdinand de Lesseps, who established the company responsible for the canal's construction.
Episodes
Background and detail
Background. The Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Construction lasted from 1859 to 1869, culminating in its official opening on 17 November 1869. The canal was formed by the Compagnie de Suez, established by French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps in 1858, following concessions obtained from Khedive Sa'id Pasha.
Ship Procession. On the morning of 17 November, a procession of ships entered the canal, headed by the vessel L'Aigle. This event marked the official start of transit through the newly completed waterway. Although the canal was officially open, some remaining works were not completed until 1871, and initial traffic volumes were lower than expected.
People involved
- Ferdinand de Lesseps · Founder of Compagnie de Suez
- Khedive Isma'il Pasha · Host of banquet
Sources
- Suez Canal Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-11
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.