Which civilization was responsible for the construction of the Suez Canal?

The construction of the Suez Canal is attributed to the Egyptians, specifically during the 19th century under the leadership of Ferdinand de Lesseps, who was a French diplomat and engineer. The canal was designed to create a direct maritime route between Europe and Asia by connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. This monumental engineering project was officially opened in 1869 and transformed international trade by significantly reducing the travel distance for ships, avoiding the lengthy trip around the southern tip of Africa.

While other civilizations such as the Romans, Greeks, and Persians have made significant advancements in engineering and infrastructure, they were not responsible for the Suez Canal’s construction. The Romans and Greeks primarily focused on their own internal infrastructures such as roads and aqueducts, while the Persians built impressive qanats and roads within their empire but did not take on a project like the Suez Canal, which was a unique and modern endeavor of the 19th century Egyptian state.