Today, nearly 30% of all global ship traffic passes through the Suez Canal, totaling over 20,000 ships in 2021. The site of the canal had been of interest to rulers as far back as the second millennium BCE, but plans to construct a passageway were obstructed by cost, political strife, and the ever-shifting sands— until the 19th century. Lucia Carminati details the creation of the Suez Canal. [Directed by Michael Kalopaidis, Zedem Media, narrated by Christina Greer].

Lucia Carminati: How the Suez Canal changed the world

How the Suez Canal changed the world

A container ship's drift in the Suez Canal, March 2021, underscores our manmade systems' fragility and global trade dependency.

The Suez Canal, a marvel of 19th-century engineering, revolutionized global trade, connecting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.

From ancient aspirations to a vital artery of commerce, the Suez Canal's journey reflects ambition, empire, and the march of progress.