Egypt’s Suez Canal has borne witness to 150 years of our history, and become a “lifeline”

The Suez Canal has borne witness to 150 years of our history, and become a “lifeline”: The Suez Canal, which was first opened for navigation almost exactly 150 years ago, remains very significant to Egypt’s modern-day economy, having become “a lifeline for Egypt and countries around the world,” Suez Canal boss Osama Rabie tells AFP. This picture, which dates back to around 1860, shows workers building the canal — a process that took some ten years and was done with rudimentary tools. The canal has gone significant expansions since its 1869 inauguration, including the expansion dubbed the New Suez Canal, which was completed in 2015.