Suez Canal: A view of the famous canal and a dock

Black-and-white photograph (on albumenized paper) of Port Said, the port city that provides access to the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean Sea. The city was created during the rule of Sa'id Pasha on April 25, 1859, when Ferdinand de Lesseps launched the canal works. Most of the current city used to be water and was built at the same time as the canal. At the start of the 20th century, this was one of the big ports of export for cotton, rice, and other regional products.