150 years since the opening of the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal in Egypt, which is a strategic point for maritime transportation between the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea, celebrated its 150th anniversary on the 17th, and a commemorative ceremony was held locally.
The Suez Canal in Egypt opened 150 years ago on November 17, 1869, and Europe and Asia were connected without going around the African continent by connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.
The canal currently has a total length of 190 km and has become an important maritime traffic last year, with more than 18,000 vessels going through the year.
In a memorial ceremony held in the city of Ismailia, on the coast of the canal, the Suez Canal Authority, Osama Ravia, said, “The Suez Canal has become a symbol of the world as well as Egypt as a strategic point that accounts for 9% of the world ’s maritime transport. I want to celebrate the feats of the past, celebrate the anniversary, and make further progress towards the future. "
The Suez Canal has been expanded four years ago, and the passage time has been shortened due to the one-sided section becoming a two-sided passage.
The Egyptian government, which uses revenue from the tolls of the Suez Canal as an important source of financial resources, wants to promote further redevelopment of the coast and further improve the base for maritime transportation.