Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 569 Opening of the Canal

Port Said, July 15, 1869.

The small port was filled with ships from all over the world, carrying the most distinguished representatives from the arts, sciences, business, royalty, and ambassadors.

The arrival of important figures included King Cuza of Romania, Austrian Chancellor Prince Olsperger, Prince Edward and Princess of the United Kingdom, and the Vice President of the United States.

In Egypt, the "gateway to the desert," this was a truly dazzling scene. The beach was filled with tents of Arabs and Bedouins from afar, who, along with their families and their horses and camels, participated in Egypt's grandest festival since the Ptolemaic era.

Three large pavilions stood in front, with Ismail Pasha's distinguished guests gathered in the center. To the right of the pavilions were Shia shrines, and to the left was an altar for Christian worship and thanksgiving.

But today's main guests are not these. When the Iranian lion and sun flag appeared in the venue, the atmosphere immediately reached a climax!
Prince Murad arrived in Port Said with a group of Iranian officials, where he was personally welcomed by Ismail Pasha.

The ceremony was originally supposed to be presided over by the French, but due to the transfer of ownership, it was presided over by Iran. This mega-project, which took more than a decade to complete, is now finally finished, and everyone is eagerly anticipating the next phase of work on the canal.

“Your Highness saw it with your own eyes,” Ismail Pasha gestured towards an armored ship flying the Iranian lion-sun flag in the harbor, “your navy’s ‘Persian Lion’ is ranked first.” He deliberately lowered his voice, “His Highness the Prince of Wales just asked me why the muzzle of the Iranian warship’s guns is larger than that of the Royal Navy’s?”

Murad simply said it was classified and moved on, since the canal was in Iranian hands and the British would have to pay the toll if they wanted to use it.

The Suez Canal, stretching over 92 miles, has port facilities and passageways at both ends. Its minimum depth is 26 feet, and its width at the bottom is no less than 72 feet. Numerous points within the Suez Canal allow ships to temporarily dock and pass through, all interconnected by a signaling system. Both ends of the canal provide berthing facilities, fuel, water-powered stations, and lighthouses.

Oh, by the way, to deter the British Navy, Iran has decided to deploy defenses in the canal zone, including several sturdy concrete fortresses equipped with the largest caliber artillery and explosives. If they can't hold it in the end, they'll just blow up the canal with explosives, and nobody else will get to use them.

Iran will station 1.2 troops here, and Egypt will also send 1 to defend it. Given that Egypt is currently controlled by Britain and Iran on key transportation routes, and they are irreconcilable enemies, they might be able to use this situation to their advantage and live a more comfortable life.

Prince Edward, ever the curious one, looked around and asked questions. His wife, Alexandra, however, was much more reserved. Because of her husband's philandering, she had long since focused her attention on her children; this was merely a routine business trip.

Also arriving was U.S. Vice President Henry Wilson, who replaced his infamous predecessor as the new vice president in the 1868 election.

The opening of the Suez Canal rekindled the United States' desire to dig a canal connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Controlling the canal would be beneficial to their Americas policy. Therefore, they sent him to Port Said to see the opening of the Suez Canal so he could report back to President Grant. With various thoughts swirling in their minds, the canal opening ceremony officially began, with Prince Murad delivering the opening remarks.

"Today, we gather here at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, at the confluence of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, to witness a great miracle of human will overcoming the barriers of nature. On behalf of His Majesty Nasser al-Din Shah, the King of Kings and Crown of Light, and in my own name, I extend my highest respect to the Egyptian people and their great builders."

Murad paused briefly, his gaze sweeping across the entire field.

"This azure waterway is not only a shipping route across the ocean, but also a time corridor connecting the past and the future. It reminds us of the ancient canals of the Pharaonic era, and of the ancestors of Iran—Cyrus the Great and Darius the Great—who built royal roads in an equally vast empire, connecting East and West for the first time. Thousands of years ago, Persian caravans and envoys traversed the vast land from Susa to Memphis."

Today, we are not repeating history, but writing a new chapter. This canal is a testament to modern science, engineering, and vision. It belongs to Egypt, and it belongs to the entire world. It will bring prosperous trade, the exchange of ideas, and dialogue among civilizations to all nations.

Finally, let us raise a glass together: to the vision and perseverance of Egyptian Governor Ismail Pasha! To the wisdom and sweat of all the engineers and workers who participated in this great undertaking! To the victory of science and progress! And even more so to a more connected, more prosperous, and more peaceful world!

The meeting was filled with enthusiastic applause. Everyone, regardless of who they were, naturally supported the connection between the East and the West, as it facilitated their communication and trade.

As the canal officially opened to traffic, the Iranian merchant ship "Cyrus" was the first to enter the waterway, its deck laden with rose oil from Shiraz and military machinery from Tabriz. That evening, a spectacular fireworks display lit up the sky above the Suez Canal, and celebrations continued late into the night.

Celebrations also took place outside the canal district. In just six weeks, a road was built from Cairo to the pyramids, lined with trees. This was constructed by conscripting labor to facilitate the arrival of Ismail Pasha's royal guests.

An Italian opera composer created a special opera for this occasion, which premiered in Cairo. All the jewelry worn by the actors on stage was real, with a total value of millions of dollars.

Although Britain was almost the only major power opposing the construction of the Suez Canal, it never lagged behind in praising its completion. At a formal banquet, the Mayor of London declared during a toast: "The Suez Canal vividly demonstrates that our excellent engineers were wrong."

However, the opening of the Suez Canal did not immediately lead to the abandonment of the Cape of Good Hope route. Due to technical, cost, and safety considerations, mainstream shipping companies neither could nor immediately make the necessary changes to their equipment and organization. Therefore, only Iranian and Austrian shipping companies began using the Suez Canal.

It was in a period of adjustment from the start, but it has indeed made things much more convenient. Some Mediterranean shipping companies have begun using the Suez Canal to expand eastward. Although cargo volume is currently low, it is gradually increasing. It is believed that before long, this will become one of the world's most important waterways.

(End of this chapter)