The Ancient Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is old but there are older canals that served its purpose!
If you want to know what happened to this amazing feat of engineering check out this video's sequel: • What happened to The A...
Sound provided by Jonatan Järpehag: "Cleopatra"
Sources:
A History of the Ptolemaic Empire
books.google.pt/books?id=cLBh...
Islandology: Geography, Rhetoric, Politics
books.google.pt/books?id=GixB...
The Histories
www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/t...
Meteorology
books.google.pt/books?id=kJy5...
Thumbnail:
Twitter: / knowhistoryyt
Patreon: / knowhistoryyt
Discord: discordapp.com/invite/CmyatuF
#Ancient_History #Egypt #Suez
Imperator Rome Copyright: 2019 Paradox Interactive AB. www.paradoxplaza.com

[@KnowHistory]

If you want to know what happened to this ancient canal, check out my latest video about it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lX6zaqisrJ6HbKM

[@mnk9073]

But the true question we are all here for now is "Was there ever a galley lodged siedeways in the ancient canal?". Please we must know!

[@fedeac31]

-Oh no! Most gracious Pharaoh! My merchant ship full of expensive species and merchandise bound for Greece has become stuck in your canal. Will you please help me, Morning and Evening Star? 😢 -Sure, mate! 😄 Soldiers! Light that thing on fire, destroy it with catapults, and fish the remaining pieces out of the water with fishing nets. -😄 Thank you, my L... 😐 Wait. What!? 😱

[@CABOOSEBOB]

I’d imagine a simple trireme ram at full speed could get it unstuck, if not from one ramming, repeated ramming would do the trick

[@mouadchaiabi]

growing up, I always assumed that ancient humans were primitive and less intelligent than the modern human, but the more I study history the more I realize that ancients were just as intelligent and creative as modern humans are. In fact, all the knowledge and technology that we have now is a continuation of the knowledge and technology that our ancient ancestors had.

[@Vulturefist]

That’s very true. In fact there’s a lot of evidence (not speculation, real evidence) showing that in some regards they had knowledge that we haven’t rediscovered yet.

[@jwsanders1214]

Just like the Bible says !

[@ocanadastandinguard6840]

You've got in wrong. They were much more intelligent than modern man.

[@jaymylotto8134]

Very well said. I've had the exact same thoughts.

[@whofuckinfarted]

Bro I literally thought the same .. even when it comes to health wise .. I thought that we are more knowledgeable and that we last longer due to hospitals.. little do I know .. that there’s people that live in the mountains in ancient time that lives for about 100 years or more

[@plant.hacks.4.ur.environment]

I’m amazed they were able to build a canal during such an early time in history.

[@tylermech66]

how? It's "move bunch of dirt then let water in", any state capable of large scale construction is easily capable of doing such, it's all just a matter of resources and labor. Egypt is VERY well known for their willingness to spend both.

[@molybdaen11]

@@tylermech66 The difficult is not in digging. It is in controlling the water to block it and free it again.

[@tylermech66]

@@molybdaen11 again, you just make a huge ditch, until you reach both water bodies you want to have connected. At that point you break the dirt barriers, letting the waters flood the ditch, and then have hundreds of men with buckets on ropes to dredge the dirt out until boats can pass through. boom, canal. It's all manpower.

[@exileeight8055]

dawg they built the pyramids like 2000 years before this.

[@molybdaen11]

@@exileeight8055 Well, this was before the collapse of the bronce age. Humans still had ambitions back then and were ready to use they skills to achieve them. Of course we have amazing buildings today too. But nothing is as mind blowing then heavy stones forming a big builded in a place which lost its significance for more then 1500 jears now.

[@MortyMortyMorty]

That's actually amazing! I did not know about this, in Imperator I thought it was just to make the game easier or more fun.

[@KnowHistory]

Same as me until I questioned its existence.

[@kennykentus2919]

I did si too, but then I look at Google maps and found it.

[@christopherg2347]

Fun fact: In -CK3 and I think 4- CK2 and I think CK3, there is a river route from the Baltic to the black sea (north and south of eastern europe). This in too existed in reality (but you had to carry your boat overland a bit to make it). It was often used by people hiring into the varangian guard.

[@Menno_3]

@@christopherg2347 Did you mean CK2 and 3?

[@christopherg2347]

@@Menno_3 You are right 2+3. I will fix that.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

What's amazing is that the ancient Suez Canal, that few know, had been in use for MUCH longer than the current one. Thus with long interruptions, it had been in use for over 1200 years (over 1400 if Darius I already completed it).

[@azkymohamed123]

We have gathered here ladies and gentleman thanks to EverGreen

[@KnowHistory]

Never seen my views go up so quickly ahah

[@azkymohamed123]

@@KnowHistory hahah.. the algorithm is recommending everyone all related to suez canal.

[@maitreyakanitkar8742]

*EverGiven, evergreen is the company

[@robertgallagher7734]

Have seen this referenced in an obscure history book- apparently there is still a visible scar/depression where the canal met the Nile, as the canal was used for centuries and even after it failed several attempts were made to revive it.

[@jonsouth1545]

The ruins were found and explored by Napoleons expedition to Egypt in 1799 with the southern half of current Suez canal following the route of the old one the main difference being the current one does not connect to the Nile. Thus solving the issue of fresh water and salt water mixing without the need for sluice gates

[@KenJackson_US]

The Nile wasn't the problem, @@jonsouth1545. It was the Great Bitter Lake, and the modern Suez canal _does_ go through the Great Bitter Lake. It was in the news when the Ever Given was finally floated and stayed in the lake for a hull inspection.

[@jonsouth1545]

@@KenJackson_US You might want to read what I said more carefully I was clearly talking about the ancient canal when I said the Nile was the issue with the ancient Suez canal due to the fears of mixing salt and fresh water and that the modern one bypasses that by not connecting to the Nile not the modern one. Learn to read before you make an ass of yourself in the comments

[@Vulturefist]

@@jonsouth1545 I hate to be the one to tell you this mate, but you should try out the magic of punctuation a lot more than you seem to do. My guess is thatif you did, perhaps some of us would find it a lot easier to understand what you are trying to ”say”. 😁

[@absalomdraconis]

@@Vulturefist : Commas would be nice, but aren't vital, and both of his messages are perfectly readable without them. Yours is actually worse, because you typed "thatif" instead of "that if".

[@AlzaboHD]

Great content - fantastic idea to use Imperator for the UI! Never knew that the canal was historical and not just gameplay related, keep up the awesome work!

[@KnowHistory]

Thank you so much! It is quite an honour to have you here, I always watch your videos! When is the next one coming up?

[@jrt818]

Nice to hear in Ancient times they considered the environmental impact of the salt water Red Sea on the fresh water Nile River. A lesson for Nicaragua about Lake Nicaragua if they decide to build a canal. Heard the ancient Suez canal was under-utilized because of prevailing wind conditions in the era of sail.

[@KnowHistory]

I heard that they've scraped that idea already, public support was at an all-time low and the firm that proposed the canal went bankrupt. Hopefully no one suggests something like that again

[@kamaruleffendi]

Hello all 1 million subscribers, here i am commenting when this channel only have 3.93k subscribers.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

I'd read that there had once been a canal between the Nile River and the Red Sea, but I didn't know where it was.

[@cozmcwillie7897]

Yeah, I read that too.(in a book somewhere in the house). Easier to Google the question than start rakin' about. This is what I thought the video here was going to be about.

[@wondrous_monsoon]

Yey! I was waiting for this. You are my favorite youtuber Know How :)

[@michaeldowson6988]

There were numerous proposals and attempts to build the Corinth Canal as early as the 7th C. BC.

[@randomperson6988]

Why did the canal fall out of use?

[@galactic-visitoretxavarria1674]

WOW!!.I didn't even imagine,ancient Civilizations,could envisionate the real possibility,of conneting the Mediterranean,with the Red Sea!!. So today, I just learned something new,I plainly ignored.Thanks a lot for uploading this vídeo!!. :-) !!!.

[@carlramirez6339]

I am a massive fan of Crusader Kings II, but I must say that Imperator:Rome is now my favourite game from Paradox Interactive.

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

I just wish they hadn’t changed so much in Imperator

[@Tflexxx02]

What happened to the canal, as it was long gone by the time of the Suez Canal?

[@molybdaen11]

Lack of maintenence because collapsing goverment. Same thing most Indian and Chinese chanales fell victim to.

[@neutronalchemist3241]

At the time of Cleopatra it was still partly existent, but no more entirely navigable (it's belived that the Red Sea coast receded with time, so it required continuous excavation works at that end to not have it covered with sand). The canal had been re-excavated and gone several times until about 1000 AD, when it had been repaired one last time, before being lost forever.

[@alexroselle]

when the French expeditionary army under Napoleon went to Egypt in 1799, they found there were still remnants of the ancient canal, but it was no longer navigable, requiring the Suez canal to be built in the following century.

[@xerxes8191]

"King Darius says: I am a Persian; setting out from Persia I conquered Egypt. I ordered to dig this canal from the river that is called Nile and flows in Egypt, to the sea that begins in Persia. Therefore, when this canal had been dug as I had ordered, ships went from Egypt through this canal to Persia, as I had intended."

[@molybdaen11]

Even back in the day they talked without saying anything.

[@matthewferrantino9521]

It says a lot. You just don't listen to anyone.

[@Amen-Magi]

Darius completed the canal, not his current route through the Nile and took Egypt's annual tribute by sea.

[@trevorames889]

Great video. Very interesting! Thank you.

[@georgebaltas125]

really nice video man, keep it up

[@PagemanX]

Nice videos! I love ancient history.

[@eliyasne9695]

That is absolutely amazing!

[@jimparsons6803]

How about that! Already knew about the fact that there was a usable canal during the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, I think that's right. But I had no idea how it was made --- took canal locks to make it happen. Lessons: Don't let anyone tell you that math doesn't count or isn't important. Or that you can't make $ with it.

[@Zeoytaccount]

Omg it’s still there!! I never knew this!

[@LoganProductions]

Interesting, had no idea this existed!

[@KnowHistory]

Living is learning!

[@Chris-55]

How did i not know this, why isn't this teached in schools, it's a huge canal literally done in Acient times

[@APPLEPIE978]

Most likely because it was only limited to small ships. So large merchant ships still had to offload to smaller barges that would navigate to the other side of the canal and load onto a large merchant ship again.

[@TheWizardGamez]

@@APPLEPIE978 sadly. Ships were divided between East and west. Those ships who got to the mouth of the Ganges couldn’t bask in the warmth of the Mediterranean

[@mcarr3492]

Really great video! I don’t know if this is true but I once read that Venice wanted to make another canal around the 15th century for trade and navigational reasons but never did. Anyway I liked the visuals you used

[@KnowHistory]

No one except that ancients know if this was true, but there are records, let's believe in those! Thank you for enjoying the video!

[@chrisnewbury3793]

Of course because The Phoenicians likely constructed it originally, and Venetians are Phoenicians ;)

[@carlthornton3076]

Very Good!

[@daanwillemsen223]

You should have more subscribers seeing the effort put in your videos

[@KnowHistory]

Thank you so much!

[@portulanka]

100% agree!

[@portulanka]

Great content! I love me some history videos! Btw which software are you using to render the maps? It's awesome!

[@KnowHistory]

the map itself is the map from imperator rome, the 3D renders are from that game as well. You can achieve those with a large amount of console comands. It almost looks like a 3D ancient world

[@portulanka]

@@KnowHistory Indeed it those! Great work!

[@suzettehenderson9278]

Very inter, how long was this canal in use?

[@FlashPointHx]

Nicely done- are you using the same engine to create those roman people as well?

[@KnowHistory]

Thank you! Similar one, this one is the Imperator Rome one, it's like 2 years older

[@malgorzatamiroslawakim7187]

Very special video I remember Ander Wajda make 🎥 Faraon the story about canal and one sleve how working, to make canal and after like you say othe come and other him to put sunds back thank you very much work sharing video Darius is the Persian name but in my country Poland lots of boy hove this name, happy weekend to you,

[@armandoplaysandmaps]

Cool vid

[@DarwinskiYT]

0:12 is that my uncle?

[@MythologywithMike]

The animation is really good! Are you using Rome II Total War for it?

[@KnowHistory]

Thank you! And no, it is Imperator Rome

[@Grecorromanohistoriaytotalwar]

Hello friend, how do you eliminate the borders of the map (Imperator rome)?

[@angelosecchi4053]

They were ancient but not stupid.

[@paulhomsy2751]

The were also attempts in the tenth century. One called Shat El Arab, a canal that was reclaimed by the sands. There were dozens of such efforts attempting to join already dug sections.

[@edinnorthcarolina--ovelhog5786]

Obrigado pelo a lição.

[@KnowHistory]

de nada!

[@manooxi327]

Tnx

[@InternetLegends-fe6ty]

I like that they used imperator

[@Asamations]

Great video KnowHow! I personally don't really care too much about Ancient History but you made it very enjoyable to watch! Keep it up!

[@KnowHistory]

I am really happy to read that! Thank you so much!

[@chuckhainsworth4801]

Interesting, so is the ancient canal any relation to the somewhat more modern sweetwater canal found around Ismalia. When I served in Egypt, there were scads of stories about it, but no real info.

[@whitelabelrecords3034]

How you recorded this amazing view from 2:07 to 2:27? I wanna use it in gameplays scene, but cinematic mode isn't in Imperator game! Thanks!

[@KnowHistory]

I use console comands and an xbox one controller to move the camera freely

[@aiman9088]

I'm still wondering how ancient engineers knew there was a different elevation between the lake and the Suez Sea. How did they figured that out

[@yonathanrakau1783]

Those people werent cave men lol they already know measurements

[@absalomdraconis]

They did some surveying. Which also would have been why they only realized partway through: they needed to get close enough that their measurement & numerical errors no longer exceeded the difference.

[@joe18750]

if you're able level the vast area the foundation needed for pyramids, orientate them too precise astrological coordinates all while keeping them square and plumb, your dilemma sounds like child's play.

[@mariopinot9187]

Nice

[@kys6557]

This was described in the Orea Linda Book

[@molybdaen11]

So they had no way to prevent the lakes to get spoiled before the invention of water locks.

[@TheSauron197]

It took almost 2000 years for the humanity to reestablish a maritime connection achieved by ptolemy's engineers

[@arailway8809]

Thanks for this. This opening should have sparked some colonization efforts further down the African coast. Do you have any data on that?

[@absalomdraconis]

It may have _strengthened_ colonization efforts, but Egypt actually had a series of towns that served a trading post on that coastline anyways, so they presumably would have had some colonization going on regardless. Also, a lot of stuff was focussed on the southern Nile, which I believe has somewhat easier overland access to the coast anyways. And, finally, while Egypt had a lot of river travel going on, they don't seem to ever have attempted big maritime wars, seemingly sticking to the places that they could easily get to by crossing over land and rivers alone. This might have been because of their oceanic ships, which were apparently these big reed constructions with just a bit of strengthening (e.g., some ropes running fore to aft to pull the ends up).

[@KingoftheWelsh]

What's the rest of the history? Did it break? Fall out of use?

[@8bitorgy]

fucking ancient flex right here

[@hansholbein1047]

Wait, Pharaoh Necho as in the Necho mentioned in the bible at the battle of meggido?

[@chrisnewbury3793]

According to "The Oera Linda" Frisian and Phoenician sailors regularly traveled from The Mediterranean to The Red Sea, until the canal was washed out by a catastrophe around 1600 bc, leaving colonies in The Punjab cut off, who later returned to their ancient homeland with Alexander The Great.

[@Gekkko]

Please next do the Ancient Panama Canal, i need ti know how it looks like at that time and how it did exist 🙏🙏

[@KJ-kw7gh]

Not to be a spoiler, but there was no “ancient” Panama Canal. It’s a completely artificial route. It was started by the French in 1881, and finished by the US in 1914. Before the canal was built, it was a long sail around Cape Horn.

[@TheWizardGamez]

This comment is equivilent to: please do a video on the ancient kiel canal

[@obamajoker7166]

@@KJ-kw7gh the joke *your head*

[@chen-elbrill9397]

Did the Egyptians ever think of building the canal along the route it follows today? And if so could they have done it? and in how long?

[@Eagerston]

Ibergerinus at the time also got stuck here

[@Amen-Magi]

Darius completed the canal, not his current route through the Nile and took Egypt's annual tribute by sea.

[@cozmcwillie7897]

I read that in ancient times a canal was dug from the Red Sea across to the Nile.

[@acebalistic1358]

yes, that is what this entire video is about.

[@cozmcwillie7897]

@@acebalistic1358 No, it's not what I'm referring to. It didn't go to the Bitter Lakes. There was a canal that ran from about two thirds of the way down the Red Sea at right angles straight across to the Nile at its closest point in Egypt; this may have been Luxor. I read that the problem bringing freight down the Red Sea to the canal was that at this end of the Red Sea the wind only blew one way for six months of the year. This would not affect military ships with rowers, but the business class with sailing ships... The problem with the canal was the 'Top Banana' whoever it was kept increasing the fee for using it. Also, the silt constantly had to be cleared, which was paid for by the traders who only used it for half of the year. Thus the silt was never properly cleared which meant that all the buyers& sellers had difficulty bringing along boats of the size they'd prefer. The bigger the vessel the less journeys needed. I can't remember if the cargo had to be moved onto small barges or not, then pulled by animals of some kind. I think there was a problem with pirate's too. The merchants in the end preferred to move through the desert finding safety in greater numbers with each other; clubbing together to pay for armed escort. I only read about this in one book. A history of boats. How accurate it is who can say ? It may all have been a dream of The Grand Wazoo.

[@celestialweaver8460]

I this style of video! Such informative videos! You can count me among your subscribers:)

[@KnowHistory]

Thank you! I'm glad to have you aboard! :D

[@betamax6080]

what about the grand canal in china?

[@Thouse_Muchachos]

Know History Know's How the Suez Canal worked in ancient times

[@arealphantom2859]

Why is this video suddenly getting views 🤨

[@directrulefromgamerchair3947]

Instructions unclear; thicc quintrireme stuck in canal

[@thedwightguy]

Necko the 11nd. contoured them??

[@tamirj.b.n9814]

Oh my god you are using Imperator Rome for maps

[@Bosniak803]

So,if ancient Egiptians are not able to build one canal,this mean,that they are not able to build piramyds too,right ? :)

[@sari8438]

You didn't mention the Arab rebuild of the canal around 640 AD

[@KnowHistory]

It's on part two, available at: kzbin.info/www/bejne/lX6zaqisrJ6HbKM

[@thedwightguy]

The "sooz"???

[@mjribes]

BC. No need for the "E".

[@oliverstianhugaas7493]

Most of these people: *I am limited by the technology of my time.*

[@SoimulX]

Remember when a roman boat got stuck in that ancient canal?

[@armchairwarrior963]

Chinese grand canal is also huge and ancient!

[@WileyBoxx]

Yeah it's called the nile river

[@jussikankinen9409]

Red sea was maybe lake human time

[@user-qf9nu4lv1k]

При Хеопсе тоже что то такое было. Жаль, что торговля тому Египту была меньше нужна, чем пирамиды

[@IBITZEE]

dude... esses gajos já andavam a ligar oceanos ainda nos nem sonhavamos com o Alqueva!!! ;-)

[@leonardhaggstrom8541]

Why is the Red Sea higher than the Mediterranean ?

[@molybdaen11]

You would be suprised how much of a potato our earth looks like. The sea follows the gravity of the land under it.

[@leonardhaggstrom8541]

@@molybdaen11 i was thinking the tides would be pulled (about equally) by the Moon

[@absalomdraconis]

@@leonardhaggstrom8541 To place a _guess,_ the Mediterranean has less water flowing in from rivers than flowing out via evaporation. That results in a constant current from the Atlantic into the Mediterranean, and the volume of the flow gets restricted between Europe & Africa, reducing the volume-per-second, which in turn reduces the height of the water. The Red Sea has some limitations on flow as well, but it's connection to the Indian ocean is much shorter than at least Egypt's connection to the Atlantic.

[@dwighthawkins5955]

And so , when was Zeus turned to Suez?..... and whom did it? I had read that some early church figure made the change during an early pagan decline period. He simply made the change on some important map and no one dared to make a correction. It stuck. This was one of those mental truth wisps that went by really fast, and it needs some fact. Can anyone help me?

[@KnowHistory]

It has nothing to do with Zeus. Suez comes from Arabic اَلسُّوَيْس‎ (as-suways), which comes from Egyptian suan (“beginning”), in reference to the port at the head of the Red Sea.

[@cybair9341]

Interesting. Too bad the story doesn't say if the saline waters of the gulf had any negative effect on the agriculture of the Nile delta.

[@indrasishmajumder6359]

Water flowed from the Nile to the Red sea. The Mediterranean sea is saline too but it doesn't affect the salinity of the Nile (perhaps with the exception of the delta region)

[@jonathanwilliams1065]

I think that is the same Necho that killed King Josiah

[@egay86292]

how could the Red Sea possibly be higher than the Nile? ever.

[@wolfshanze5980]

Yes, but what do Ancient Alien Historians have to say about all this?

[@QuizmasterLaw]

This video reminds me of a catchup sandwich: no meat.

[@pacajalbert9018]

v knihe knihe videl zastavené ale videl som otvorené ťažká váha je ľahšia

[@sergiovieira8272]

BCE?

[@KnowHistory]

Before Common Era, it means before Christ

[@kevinobrien9271]

BC is now politically incorrect; it’s too Christian.

[@AnarchyEnsues]

Why is the image of the ancient egyption brown? Dna results are in, their 23and me says they are western european.

[@absalomdraconis]

1) Because they spent lots of time in the sun, and thus got tanned- southern europeans (e.g. Italians, Spaniards) get tan for the same reason in the same circumstances; 2) because they mostly weren't Western Europeans, they were a mix of sub-Saharan Africans and Mediterraneans; 3) because they did leave some painted images of themselves, where they depicted themselves as brown, and others as various other colors.

[@AnarchyEnsues]

@@absalomdraconis sorry love, DNA results are in. The mummies were not mixed race. There are many paintings of light skin Pharoah.

[@chrisbaled7471]

-> Suez Zeus

[@tuomio5043]

Nice use of IR footage

[@user-po7xn8ri7r]

Philip the second of Macedon father of Alexander the great did the same in oella the capital of his kingdom

[@sarcasmo57]

A man a plan a canal Egypt

[@quidam_surprise]

That doesn't make any sense 🙃

[@rezaabc8532]

Hello.dariush the king of Persian for first time drill this canal .

[@faithlesshound5621]

Your account of the ancient Suez canals is quite different to that on WikiPedia.

[@RK-gv7rc]

meaning what, exactly? do you take Wikipedia to be a paragon of knowledge or something similar?

[@BirdTurdMemes]

@@RK-gv7rc u take a youtube vid for the same?

[@faithlesshound5621]

@@RK-gv7rc Wikipedia is supposedly a collective effort, but what we see (unless we search through the history) is whatever the last contributor chose to leave us. Many people enjoy falsifying it.

[@mintusaren895]

Sultej or suez map is not clear.

[@temogen2]

I think there is history too, at the islamic period.

[@KnowHistory]

I am currently making a video about that part! :)

[@pacajalbert9018]

Mali chlapec 🧒 v knihe som videl púšť prvý krát púšť hneď som videl vodu ovocie zelenú púšť farba sa zmenila otvoril som atlas v škole videl som obraz rozšíriť pevninu nad oceánom ľahšie na zemi než na Marse nechcel žiť chcel skočiť do veľké vody do vesmíru

[@moymoy5918]

evergreen brought me here

[@n0madfernan257]

'They' closed this for 'political' reasons?

[@absalomdraconis]

It wasn't properly closed, just abandoned. As government circumstances changed, maintenance became too difficult.