The
Egyptian Department of Public WorksPublic works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the state on behalf of the community.-Overview:The notion of internal improvements or public works is a concept in economics and politics...
was established in the early Nineteenth Century, and concentrates mainly on
public worksPublic works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the state on behalf of the community.-Overview:The notion of internal improvements or public works is a concept in economics and politics...
relating to
irrigationIrrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil. It is usually used to assist in growing crops in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
and
hydraulic engineeringHydraulic engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water. This area of engineering is intimately related to the design of bridges, dams, channels, canals, levees, elevators, and to both sanitary and environmental...
. These irrigation projects have constituted the bulk of work performed by this entity in
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
. During its almost 200-year history, the Egyptian Department of Public Works employed many notable engineers and constructed massive
public worksPublic works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the state on behalf of the community.-Overview:The notion of internal improvements or public works is a concept in economics and politics...
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 (1818-1882).
- The Occupation Period (1882-1952).
- The Modern Period (1952 to present).
The Classic Period (1818-1882)
This period was characterized by the strong influence of French engineers and/or French educated Egyptian engineers. Numerous public works projects were constructed in both
UpperUpper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
and
LowerLower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
during this period, but the most notable of these were the construction of the three major irrigation canals (Mahmoudiyah, Ismailia, and Ibrahimiya) and the
Delta BarrageThe Delta Barrage is barrage that was completed in 1862. Its purpose was to improve irrigation in the Nile Delta area of Egypt.It was recorded by historians that Muhammad Ali of Egypt's grandson Abbas sacrificed one of the pyramids in order to build the dam which was very poorly financed.When it...
s.
Early Beginnings under Muhammad Ali
After his rise to power in 1805, Muhammad Ali Pasha embarked on consolidating his power and building an empire. His way of achieving that was to modernize
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
and to build a European style strong army and a modern system of government. His desire for modernization fueled many new establishments such as the first modern military school, educational institutions, hospitals, roads and canals, factories to turn out uniforms and munitions, and a shipbuilding foundry at
AlexandriaAlexandria , with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports...
. He established the school of Engineering (
Mohandes Khana) in 1820 to provide the engineers and scientists he would need to carry out all the great projects he had planned. Impressed by the scientific and cultural aspects of the French Expedition (1798-1801), Muhammad Ali relied on French scientists and craftsmen to help him modernize
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
. French engineer Pascal Coste was the first engineer hired by Muhammad Ali in 1817 to help him construct his ambitious projects. Coste worked on some small projects first, then came his biggest when he was appointed by Muhammad Ali as the Chief Engineer for
Lower EgyptLower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
. This was the highest engineering post in
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
at the time since most of Muhammad Ali's work to improve irrigation was concentrated in this region of the
Nile DeltaThe Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
. Under his new position, Coste started working on constructing the Mahmoudiyah canal, the first of a long list of great irrigation projects that were to be constructed in that era.
The Mahmoudiyah Canal
Around 1818, Muhammad Ali conceived the idea of digging a canal that would allow the barges bringing cargoes from
UpperUpper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
,
MiddleMiddle Egypt is the section of land between Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt, stretching upstream from Beni Suef in the north to Sohag in the south. Ancient Egypt was divided at the time into Lower and Upper Egypt. It wasn't until the 19th Century that archeologists felt the need to divide Upper...
and
LowerLower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
to reach
AlexandriaAlexandria , with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports...
without passing
RosettaRosetta is a port city on the Mediterranean coast in Egypt. It is located 65 km east of Alexandria, in al-Buhayrah governorate. It was founded around AD 800....
and the mouth of the river, a point where many ships sank due to the turbulence of the waters. He chose a Turkish engineer, Shakir Effendi, to be in charge of the design and execution of the work. The canal would begin in the village of Atfa, below Fuwwa; would be a little over 80 kilometer (50 mile) long. Shakir Effendi seems to have bungled his assignment, and was replaced by the French engineer Pascal Coste (1787-1879) who completed the canal in a record time of few months in 1820. This canal, which linked the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
with the city’s western harbor, gave
AlexandriaAlexandria , with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports...
access to the Egyptian heartland and put
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
face to face with the sea. It also provided
AlexandriaAlexandria , with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports...
with
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
’s fresh water for the first time in history.
It should be mentiined here however that the entire canal was constructed using the hated
corvéeCorvée is labor, often but not always unpaid, that people in power have authority to compel their subjects to perform, unless commuted in some way, such as by a cash payment; sometimes this was an option of the payer, sometimes of the payee, and sometimes not an option...
system, which Muhammad Ali and his successors used extensively and which was finally abolished under Khedive Ismail during the digging of the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened on November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa...
.
CorvéeCorvée is labor, often but not always unpaid, that people in power have authority to compel their subjects to perform, unless commuted in some way, such as by a cash payment; sometimes this was an option of the payer, sometimes of the payee, and sometimes not an option...
of more than 300,000 men were drafted from every part of
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
to dig the Mahmoudiya canal, which was of very little importance to cultivation, and which was especially designed for the benefit of the city of
AlexandriaAlexandria , with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports...
.
The Delta Barrages
With the great expansion of commercial
cottonCotton is a soft, staple fiber that grows in a form known as a boll around the seeds of the cotton plant, a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, India and Africa. The fiber most often is spun into yarn or thread and used to make a soft,...
and
sugarcaneSugarcane, or sugar cane, is any of six to thirty-seven species of tall perennial grasses of the genus Saccharum . Native to warm temperate to tropical regions of Asia, they have stout, jointed, fibrous stalks that are rich in sugar, and measure two to six meters tall...
cultivation, river banks were raised and strengthened to protect summer crops from flood water.
Nile DeltaThe Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
old canals were deepened and small dams built across them to raise the water level. But this was an enormous labor, and as these canals were badly laid out and graded they became full of mud during the flood and required to be continuously dug out afresh. Muhammad Ali Pasha was then advised to raise the water surface by erecting a dam (or, as the French called it, a barrage) across the apex of the
Nile DeltaThe Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
, twelve miles (19 km) north of
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
.
In 1833 the foundations were laid of the two great barrages over the
RosettaRosetta is a port city on the Mediterranean coast in Egypt. It is located 65 km east of Alexandria, in al-Buhayrah governorate. It was founded around AD 800....
and
DamiettaDamietta, Damiata, or Domyat is a port and the capital of the governorate of Domyat, Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.- History :...
branches of the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
at the point where they divide north of
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
. The project engineer was the French engineer Mougel Bey, whose objective was to regulate the entire hydraulic system of the
Nile DeltaThe Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
. The two barrages would ultimately permitt conversion of over of the
Nile DeltaThe Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
from basin irrigation to perennial irrigation, lengthening the growing season and dramatically increasing agricultural output. But this massive work proved to be very costly and imposing. Construction took long years (it was started in 1833 and was not completed until 1862). It also consumed untold wealth to complete.
By the time the barrages were finally completed in 1862, during the early reign of Viceroy Ismail Pasha's (not yet upgraded to
khediveThe term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Ottoman Wali of Egypt and Sudan...
of Egypt), L.E 3,000,000 (three million) pounds had been spent already. The
RosettaRosetta is a port city on the Mediterranean coast in Egypt. It is located 65 km east of Alexandria, in al-Buhayrah governorate. It was founded around AD 800....
section was 465 meters in length with 61 arches of 4.8 meters in length each. The
DamiettaDamietta, Damiata, or Domyat is a port and the capital of the governorate of Domyat, Egypt. It is located at the intersection between the Mediterranean Sea and the Nile, about north of Cairo.- History :...
section was 545 meters long and had a similar number of arches and locks. When it was time to operate the dam, the foundations had been so poorly laid that the whole purpose for which it had been built in the first place was abandoned. Poorly constructed, the barrages would have to be rebuilt during the British occupation.
Establishment of the Department
Up until construction of the
Nile BarragesThe Delta Barrage is barrage that was completed in 1862. Its purpose was to improve irrigation in the Nile Delta area of Egypt.It was recorded by historians that Muhammad Ali of Egypt's grandson Abbas sacrificed one of the pyramids in order to build the dam which was very poorly financed.When it...
, no formal single entity was responsible for the execution of all public works that were being constructed in many parts of the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
valley and the
Nile DeltaThe Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
. Muhammad Ali had invented a new position in 1818:Chief Engineer for
Lower EgyptLower Egypt is the northern-most section of Egypt. It refers to the fertile Nile Delta region, which stretches from the area between El-Aiyat and Zawyet Dahshur, south of modern-day Cairo, and the Mediterranean Sea....
(Pascal Coste was the first ever to be chosen for this position). A similar title for
Upper EgyptUpper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
was created in 1831 after Muhammad Ali started to consider building irrigation improvements in
Upper EgyptUpper Egypt is the strip of land, on both sides of the Nile valley, that extends from the cataract boundaries of modern-day Aswan north to the area between El-Ayait and Zawyet Dahshur . The northern section of Upper Egypt, between El-Ayait and Sohag is sometimes known as Middle Egypt...
.
Linant de BellefondsLouis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds better known as Linant Pasha was an explorer of Egypt and, as the chief engineer of Egypt's public works, 1831–1869, the chief engineer of the Suez Canal.Having taken advantage of a sound education that emphasized mathematics, drawing and painting,...
(another French engineer) was appointed the first chief engineer for Upper Egypt. Pascal Cost quit his position and returend to
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
in 1829 and was replaced by his fellow countryman Mugel Bey. As the volume of public works increased, Muhammad Ali Pasha decided to establish one entity to handle all the projects. In 1836 the Department of Public Works was established and was presided over by
Linant de BellefondsLouis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds better known as Linant Pasha was an explorer of Egypt and, as the chief engineer of Egypt's public works, 1831–1869, the chief engineer of the Suez Canal.Having taken advantage of a sound education that emphasized mathematics, drawing and painting,...
(later known as Linant
PashaPasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries...
). His position would associate him in a long and fruitful career with most of the great works of modernizing
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
's irrigation system. But this also meant trouble for Mougel Bey as he and
LinantLouis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds better known as Linant Pasha was an explorer of Egypt and, as the chief engineer of Egypt's public works, 1831–1869, the chief engineer of the Suez Canal.Having taken advantage of a sound education that emphasized mathematics, drawing and painting,...
had always been opposed to each other. Each had his own design for the Nile Barrages, and Mougel's had been preferred.
LinantLouis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds better known as Linant Pasha was an explorer of Egypt and, as the chief engineer of Egypt's public works, 1831–1869, the chief engineer of the Suez Canal.Having taken advantage of a sound education that emphasized mathematics, drawing and painting,...
left sufficiently on record his jealousy of his rival, and seems to have come easily to the conclusion that his rival's Barrage was a costly failure, of no more use than those useless old Pyramids a few miles off.
Under Abbas Hilmi IAbbas I , , Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, was a son of Tusun Pasha and grandson of Muhammad Ali, founder of the reigning dynasty of Egypt and Sudan at the time. The Chambers Biographical Dictionary says of him: "[b]igoted and sensual, he did much to undo the progress made under Mehemet Ali."He was born...
Muhammad Ali Pasha died in 1848 without seeing the Delta dams completed. He was succeeded by his grandson
Abbas Hilmi IAbbas I , , Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, was a son of Tusun Pasha and grandson of Muhammad Ali, founder of the reigning dynasty of Egypt and Sudan at the time. The Chambers Biographical Dictionary says of him: "[b]igoted and sensual, he did much to undo the progress made under Mehemet Ali."He was born...
, (1848-1854) whose known contempt towards his grandfather caused him to halt or entirely abandon most of Muhammad Ali Pasha’s massive projects, including the Delta Barrages.
Abbas PashaAbbas I , , Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, was a son of Tusun Pasha and grandson of Muhammad Ali, founder of the reigning dynasty of Egypt and Sudan at the time. The Chambers Biographical Dictionary says of him: "[b]igoted and sensual, he did much to undo the progress made under Mehemet Ali."He was born...
had no faith in the project and wished to abandon the construction of the dams. He dismissed Mougel Bey in April, 1853, and placed Mazhar Bey in charge of the work. Sensing his master’s lack of enthusiasm for the project, Mazhar Bey, a Turkish engineer, did not do much to finish the work which would only be completed later during the time of Egypt’s next
WaliWalī , is an Arabic word meaning "trusted one or patron"; it generally denotes "friend of God" in the phrase ولي الله walīyu 'llāh It should not be confused with the word Wāli which is an administrative title that was used in the Muslim Caliphate, and still today in some Muslim countries.-Sunni...
from
Muhammad Ali DynastyThe Muhammad Ali Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Egypt and Sudan from the 19th to the mid-20th Century. It is named after its progenitor, Muhammad Ali Pasha, regarded as the founder of modern Egypt...
,
Sa'id PashaSa'id of Egypt was the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan from 1854 until 1863, officially owing fealty to the Ottoman Sultan but in practice exercising virtual independence. He was the fourth son of Muhammad Ali Pasha. Sa'id was a francophone, educated in Paris.Under Sa'id's rule there were several law,...
.
Under Sa'id PashaSa'id of Egypt was the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan from 1854 until 1863, officially owing fealty to the Ottoman Sultan but in practice exercising virtual independence. He was the fourth son of Muhammad Ali Pasha. Sa'id was a francophone, educated in Paris.Under Sa'id's rule there were several law,...
Under
Sa'id PashaSa'id of Egypt was the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan from 1854 until 1863, officially owing fealty to the Ottoman Sultan but in practice exercising virtual independence. He was the fourth son of Muhammad Ali Pasha. Sa'id was a francophone, educated in Paris.Under Sa'id's rule there were several law,...
’s rule (1854-1863) there were several reforms as he tried to portray himself as the new great reformer. Some modernization of Egyptian and Sudanese infrastructure occurred using western loans. During this period, the
Nizarah (or Ministry) of Public Works was established in 1857. It actually comprised many departments like the departments of Railroads, Telegraphs, Surveying, Building Construction, Agriculture,
AlexandriaAlexandria , with a population of 4.1 million, is the second-largest city in Egypt, and is the country's largest seaport, serving about 80% of Egypt's imports and exports...
Harbor, Antiquity, the Opera House, the Zoological Garden, the Aquarium Garden, Sewage, and Irrigation.
LinantLouis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds better known as Linant Pasha was an explorer of Egypt and, as the chief engineer of Egypt's public works, 1831–1869, the chief engineer of the Suez Canal.Having taken advantage of a sound education that emphasized mathematics, drawing and painting,...
continued in charge of public works, as director general beginning with 1862, and as Minister of
Public WorksPublic works are the construction or engineering projects carried out by the state on behalf of the community.-Overview:The notion of internal improvements or public works is a concept in economics and politics...
in 1869. He retired from this post in the same year (1869) and in 1873 was given the title
PashaPasha or pacha, formerly bashaw, was a high rank in the Ottoman Empire political system, typically granted to governors, generals and dignitaries...
by Khedieve Ismail Pasha.
The Suez Canal
In 1854 the first act of concession of land for the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened on November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa...
was granted, to a French businessman
Ferdinand de LessepsFerdinand Marie, Vicomte de Lesseps,
GCSI was the French developer of the Suez Canal, which joined the Mediterranean and Red Seas for the first time in 1869, and substantially reduced sailing distances and times between the West and the East.He attempted to repeat this success with...
. 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 CompanyThe Universal Suez Ship Canal Company was the French corporation whichwas formed by Ferdinand de Lesseps during 1858,...
, which would become a state within the state and would later have its strong impact on the Anglo-Egyptian relations.
The Ismailia Canal
The first major project the department under
LinantLouis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds better known as Linant Pasha was an explorer of Egypt and, as the chief engineer of Egypt's public works, 1831–1869, the chief engineer of the Suez Canal.Having taken advantage of a sound education that emphasized mathematics, drawing and painting,...
(now under his new title as director general) constructed was the Ismailia canal. It was constructed between 1861 and 1863, in virtue of agreements between the Egyptian Government and the
Suez Canal CompanyThe Universal Suez Ship Canal Company was the French corporation whichwas formed by Ferdinand de Lesseps during 1858,...
, for the purpose of creating a navigable waterway between the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
and the planned
SuezSuez is a seaport town in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has two harbors, Port Ibrahim and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
maritime canal; to furnish water for irrigating some lands conceded to the company, and finally to provide for the needs of the maritime canal and the towns and stations established along its course a daily supply of 70,000 cubic meters of fresh water. It was designed by
LinantLouis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds better known as Linant Pasha was an explorer of Egypt and, as the chief engineer of Egypt's public works, 1831–1869, the chief engineer of the Suez Canal.Having taken advantage of a sound education that emphasized mathematics, drawing and painting,...
who also managed its construction.
The Ismailia canal has its inlet at
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
upstream of the
Delta BarrageThe Delta Barrage is barrage that was completed in 1862. Its purpose was to improve irrigation in the Nile Delta area of Egypt.It was recorded by historians that Muhammad Ali of Egypt's grandson Abbas sacrificed one of the pyramids in order to build the dam which was very poorly financed.When it...
s. It actually used to have two inlets, one called the Kasr-el-Nil, in the heart of Cairo. This was the oldest, but it was abandoned later after the area got very urbanized. The other inlet, called Shobra, is situated 7 kilometers below in the now bustling
ShobraShubra is one of the largest districts of Cairo, Egypt and it is administratively divided into three areas: Shubra, Road El Farag, and Elsahel.-Etymology:...
district in northern
CairoCairo is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab World. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a center of the region's political and cultural life...
. After leaving its inlet, the canal follows the edge of the desert until it reaches the little valley of the Ouadi, which it crosses and follows the north side, trending direct to the east as far as the town of
IsmailiaIsmaïlia is the capital of Egypt's Al Isma'iliyah Governorate. It has a population of approximately 750,000. It is located on the west bank of the Suez Canal, approximately half way between Port Said to the north and Suez to the south. The Canal widens at that point to include Timsah, one of the...
, where it discharges into Lake Timsah. A branch, which begins a little before
IsmailiaIsmaïlia is the capital of Egypt's Al Isma'iliyah Governorate. It has a population of approximately 750,000. It is located on the west bank of the Suez Canal, approximately half way between Port Said to the north and Suez to the south. The Canal widens at that point to include Timsah, one of the...
, stretches toward the south across the desert, following a line parallel to the maritime
SuezSuez is a seaport town in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has two harbors, Port Ibrahim and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
canal and empties into the channel of the port of
SuezSuez is a seaport town in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez, near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has two harbors, Port Ibrahim and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
.
The line of the Ismailia canal conforms at many points to the direction followed by the ancient canal, which, according to historians, put the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
in communication with Lake Timsah, or with the
Red SeaThe Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez,...
itself, and of which traces have been found on the surface. The length of the canal between the Nile and Lake Timseh is 136 kilometers, and the length of the Suez branch is 89 kilometers.
Under Ismail Pasha
During the reign of Ismail Pasha (1863-1879), many great public works projects were constructed. Over of new canals (the longest of which was the Ibraheimiyah Canal) were dug; the cultivated area increased from 3,050,000
feddanA feddan is a unit of area. It is used in Egypt, Sudan, and Syria. The feddan is not an SI unit and in Arabic, the word means 'a yoke of oxen': implying the area of ground that could be tilled by them in a certain time...
s in 1813 to 4,743,000 in 1877. Ismail's khedivate is also closely connected to the construction of the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened on November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa...
. He agreed to, and oversaw, the Egyptian portion of its construction. Although Ismail was the greatest modernizer of
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
since Muhammad Ali Pasha, his wars of expansion into
AfricaAfrica is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area. With a billion people in 61 territories, it accounts for about 14.8% of the...
and the many infrastructure projects he carried, including the costly
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened on November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa...
, put the country heavily in debt. In 1879 he was forced out of power by
Great BritainGreat Britain is an island lying to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island. With a population of about 59.6 million people, it is the third most populated island on Earth. Great Britain is surrounded by over 1000 smaller...
and
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
who replaced him with his much less capable son Tawfiq.
The Ibrahimiya Canal
The Ibrahimiya Canal was the most important public work executed under the newly established Ministry of Public Works. It was built during the reign of Ismail Pasha when he was
KhediveThe term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Ottoman Wali of Egypt and Sudan...
of
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
. It was built in 1873 by Bahgat Pasha, minister of public works, who designed it primarily to provide perennial irrigation to the Khedivial
sugarSugar is a class of edible crystalline substances, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose. Human taste buds interpret its flavor as sweet. Sugar as a basic food carbohydrate primarily comes from sugar cane and from sugar beet, but also appears in fruit, honey, sorghum, sugar maple , and in many...
estates in
Middle EgyptMiddle Egypt is the section of land between Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt, stretching upstream from Beni Suef in the north to Sohag in the south. Ancient Egypt was divided at the time into Lower and Upper Egypt. It wasn't until the 19th Century that archeologists felt the need to divide Upper...
. It supplied perennial irrigation to and flood irrigation to another . The discharge of the canal varied between 30 and 80 cubic meters per second in summer and between 500 and 900 cubic metres per second in flood. Having its head on the left bank of the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
, opposite Assiut, it runs northwards for 60 kilometers and then divides in Dirout into two main branches; one branch is the
Bahr Yousef Canal, while the other is the Ibrahimiya Canal proper.
Troubled Years
Between 1849 and 1879, was the time of the great expansion and development of a centralized Egyptian bureaucracy, and important structural changes occurred in the Egyptian system of government. A trend of discontinuity of entities within the Egyptian government became apparent during these years. Departments of the government (Public Works included) were continuously being combined and recombined, abolished and reformed, or otherwise modified. The Department of Public Works was headed by
Nubar PashaNubar Pasha was an Egyptian politician and the first Prime Minister of Egypt. He served as Prime Minister three times during his career. His first term was between August 1878 and February 23, 1879. His second term was served from January 10, 1884 to June 9, 1888...
, the influential Armenian official, from 1864 to 1866. During that time, it had assumed jurisdiction over railways and was also given supervision of the Delta Barrages. After the removal of Nubar in 1866, railways administration was separated from the Department of Public works which was reduced into an office (qalam) within the Department of Interior. Public Works was subsequently reconstituted as a department and with combined with Education into a single administration under Ali Mubarak, yet by 1869 it seems to have resumed an independent existence under its own director
Linant BeyLouis Maurice Adolphe Linant de Bellefonds better known as Linant Pasha was an explorer of Egypt and, as the chief engineer of Egypt's public works, 1831–1869, the chief engineer of the Suez Canal.Having taken advantage of a sound education that emphasized mathematics, drawing and painting,...
. After his resignation in 1870, public works was joined to Education and Charitable Endowments and was headed by Ali Mubarak for a second time. In November 1871 it was converted into an office of engineering and was placed under Interior again. By 1872, it had been reestablished as a department one more time, but in August of the same year it was joined again to Education and Charitable Endowments. Twelve months later, owing to the transfer of its director to Interior, it was returned to Interior. Two months later, it was joined to the War Department. In 1875, Public Works was reattached to Interior.
The British Occupation Period (1882-1952)
British engineers took control of the Department during this period. Some of the greatest civil engineers of the Nineteenth Century worked in the department in this era, including Sir Colin Scott Moncrieff, Sir Hanbury Brown, Sir
Benjamin BakerSir Benjamin Baker KCB KCMG FRS was an eminent British civil engineer who worked in mid to late Victorian era. He helped develop the early underground railways in London with Sir John Fowler, but he is best known for his work on the Forth Bridge...
and Sir
William WillcocksSir William Willcocks KCMG was a British civil engineer. He is remembered as a renowned irrigation engineer, having proposed the first Aswan Dam and undertaken major projects of irrigation in South Africa and Turkey.A graduate of the Thomason College of Civil Engineeering, Roorkee 1872 batch...
, who had all been trained in
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
. All the major dams controlling the Nile (the old Aswan Dam and
EsnaThe Egyptian city of Esna , known to the ancient Egyptians as Egyptian: Iunyt or Ta-senet; Greek: or or ; Latin: Lato, is located on the west bank of the River Nile, some 55 km south of Luxor, in the modern Qena Governorate.-The ancient city:The name "Latopolis" is in honor of the Nile...
,
Nag HammadiNag Hammadi , is a city in Upper Egypt. Nag Hammadi was known as Chenoboskion in classical antiquity, meaning "geese grazing grounds". It is located on the west bank of the Nile in the Qena Governorate, about 80 kilometres north-west of Luxor.It has a population of about 30,000, who are mostly...
,
AssiutThe Assiut Barrage is a dam on the Nile in the city of Assiut in Upper Egypt . It was designed by the famous British engineer Sir William Willcocks who also designed and built the Aswan Dam...
, Edfeina and
ZiftaZifta: is an Egyptian town in the Nile delta, belongs to Al Gharbia governorate. It is across the nile from Mit Ghamr city of Ad Daqahliyah governorate.-History:...
barrages) were constructed during this period.
The Modern Period (1952 to present)
Egyptian engineers operated the Department after Egypt was liberated from the British rule. The biggest and most complicated of all public works in Egyptian history (
Aswan High DamAswan Egypt is the city located near the first cataract of the Nile, which presented the first obstacle from the Mediterranean Sea for boats sailing on the river since antiquity...
) was constructed during this period. This period experienced influence of Soviet engineers in the 1950s and the 1960s. This was replaced by some influence of American engineers in the 1980s and the 1990s.