Historical outline

The idea of creating a canal linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea is a very old one that dates back 4000 years ago when the Ancient Egyptians thought of linking the two seas using the river Nile and its branches. It was this very idea that led to the construction of the present Suez Canal, which is historically the first man-made canal ever built to serve world trade. It is also until now the largest navigable canal between east and west. The Mediterranean entrance is at Port Said and the Red Sea entrance is at Port Tewfik, Suez.