- Sweet Water Canal
The Sweet Water Canal is a modern canal of
Egypt , running along the northern periphery of the now drydistributary of theWadi Tumilat "Sweet Water Canal." "Encyclopædia Britannica," (2008). [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/576886/Sweet-Water-Canal Encyclopædia Britannica Online] , retrieved Aug. 8, 2008.] and extending fromPort Said in the north all the way toSuez in the south.. Construction was completed in 1863, designed to supply drinking water to nearby citizens.During its construction, remnants of an ancient canal were discovered which ran through the
ancient Egypt ian cities of Pi-Ramesses,Bubastis andPithom . [Montet, Pierre. "Everyday Life In The Days Of Ramesses The Great" (1981), page 184. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.] This ancient canal that was discovered has been hypothesized to have been a portion of an ancient "Suez" canal which extended from the Nile to theRed Sea See for example:
a. Petrie, Flinders. "Social Life in Ancient Egypt" (1970 reprint, 1923 original), page 176. New York: Cooper Square.
b. Rappoport, S. (Doctor of Philosophy, Basel). "History of Egypt" (undated, early 20th century), Volume 12, Part B, Chapter V: "The Waterways of Egypt," pages 248-251. London: The Grolier Society.
c. Silver, Morris. "Ancient Economies II" (Apr. 6, 1998), "5c. Evidence for Earlier Canals." [http://www.angelfire.com/ms/ancecon/index.html ANCIENT ECONOMIES II] , retrieved Aug. 8, 2008. Economics Department, City College of New York.] and accounted for by three early classical writers --Aristotle ,Strabo andPliny the Elder .The terms "Sweet Water Canal,
Fresh Water Canal " and "Ismaïlia Canal" have been used interchangeably by previous writers, [For example, Rappoport (page 267, referenced above) states that it is theFresh Water Canal which "supplies drinking water" between "Port Said and all the floating population about the banks of theSuez Canal ." Also already are the terms "Ismaïlia Canal" and "Fresh Water Canal " used interchangeably.] causing a source of confusion.Notes
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