Ismaïlia Canal
Ismailia Canal or the Al-Ismāʿīliyyah Canal, formerly known as the Sweet Water Canal or the Fresh Water Canal, is a canal which was dug by thousands of Egyptian fellahin to facilitate the construction of the Suez Canal. The canal travels east-west across Ismailia Governorate.
| Ismailia Canal | |
|---|---|
| Specifications | |
| Status | Open |
| History | |
| Construction began | 1861 |
| Date completed | 1863 |
| Geography | |
| Direction | East-West |
| Start point | Zagazig (Nile) |
| End point | Ismalia (Lake Timsah) |
| Beginning coordinates | 30°6′18″N 31°14′30″E |
| Ending coordinates | 30°35′21″N 32°17′0″E |
| Branch(es) |
|
It was dug to provide fresh water to the arid area, from Lake Timsah to Suez and Port Said.: 267 The canal facilitated the growth of agriculture settlements along the Suez Canal, and it is particularly important for supplying water to the city of Port Said. Like the Suez Canal, it was designed by French engineers; construction lasted from 1861 until 1863. It runs through the now-dry distributary of the Wadi Tumilat, incorporating portions of an ancient Suez Canal that existed between Old Cairo and the Red Sea.: 251–257
The Ismailia Canal proper ends at Ismalia. Additional branches connect the canal from Ismailia to Suez and Port Said. The Sweet Water Canal refers to a combination of the Ismailia Canal and its southern branch to Suez.