How They Parted The Desert To Build The Suez Canal _ HISTORY This Week

How They Parted The Desert To Build The Suez Canal _ HISTORY This Week

Museum Mysteries
Museum Mysteries
23 Video Views·May 2, 2026

April 25, 1859. About 150 people have gathered on the shores of Lake Manzala in Egypt. And one of them, a mustachioed, retired French diplomat, steps forward. He raises his pickaxe and strikes a ceremonial blow. The audacious goal is to cut through the desert to connect the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, creating a new tr …