"Ships in the Desert" a Suez Travel Page by MikeAtSea

2004 was my third time I was able to pass the Suez Canal by ship. And each time it is simply amazing if one sees this canal and the lenght of it.
The canal is somewhat more than 160 km long. Proceeding South from Port Said, it runs in an almost undeviating straight line to Lake Timsah. From there a cutting leads to the Bitter Lakes; this is the area one has to wait for the opposite convoy to pass, and a final cutting then reaches the Gulf of Suez. The canal has no locks and can accommodate all but the largest ships. For our size ship really not a problem!
The modern canal was planned by the French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps, who also supervised construction (1859-69). Great Britain, which had opposed the construction of the canal, became the largest shareholder in 1875 by purchasing the interest of the Egyptian khedive. The Convention of Constantinople signed in 1888 by all major European powers of the time declared the canal neutral and guaranteed free passage to all in time of peace and war. Great Britain was the guarantor of the neutrality of the canal; management was placed in the hands of the Suez Canal Company.
Today however the Egyptian gouvernement controls the canal and it is an important revenue creator. Suez the town on the South of the Canal is today living mainly of the canal, the workers it employs and shipping companies that provide agents to the passing ships.