An engineering marvel, the Suez Canal was completed in 1869. The sea-level, single-lane waterway has no locks, and only two lakes allow north- and southbound ships to pass each other: Ballah Bypass and Great Bitter Lake. Along this historic waterway, stark desert sands stretch into Egypt and an occasional giant mound of sand appears on its banks, dug from the canal. Small patches of swaying palms are fed by canal waters. Nearby lies the town of Ismailia, known as the “City of Beauty and Enchantment,” which was built to serve the canal’s construction and maintenance.
