page_title: Egyptian Public Works
section_title: The Suez Canal
hierarchical_section_title: Egyptian Public Works / The Classic Period (1818–1882) / Under Sa'id Pasha / The Suez Canal
caption_attribution_description: A scene from Ismailia, Egypt, photographed in 1990.
context_page_description: The Egyptian Department of Public Works was established in the early 19th century, and concentrates mainly on public works relating to irrigation and hydraulic engineering. These irrigation projects have constituted the bulk of work performed by this entity in Egypt. During its almost 200-year history, the Egyptian Department of Public Works employed many notable engineers and constructed massive public works projects throughout the country. It became the most respected engineering entity and was regarded as the ‘best school’ for civil engineers in modern Egypt. Its history can be broken into three periods:
  The Classic Period.
  The Occupation Period.
  The Modern Period.
context_section_description: In 1854 the first act of concession of land for the Suez Canal was granted to a French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps. Actual construction of the maritime canal lasted for 11 years (1858–1869). From its early start, design and construction work of this international waterway were kept out of the Department of Public Works and was totally handled by the Suez Canal Company, which would become a state within the state and would later have its strong impact on the Anglo-Egyptian relations.
caption: The Ismailia Canal
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