oroughly restoring the two canals, joined the fresh-water canal with
the Heroopolite Gulf by means of a lock and sluices, which permitted the
passage of vessels, and were effective in preventing the salt water from
mingling with the fresh water. At the point where the canal joined the
Heroopolite Gulf to the Red Sea, Ptolemy founded the town of Arsinoe, a
little to the north of the modern Suez.

The line of communication between the two seas was impassable during
the reign of Cleopatra (31 b.c.). It is believed by some that it was
restored during the reign of the Roman emperor Trajan (98-117). During
this period the Pelusiac branch of the Nile was very low, the water
having almost completely deserted this formerly well-filled course.
If Trajan, therefore, undertook to reopen the water way, he must have
tapped the Nile much higher up, in order to reach a plentiful supply of
water. The old canal near Cairo, which elsewhere joined the line of
the former canal on the way to the Bitter Lakes, was once called "Amnis
Trajanus," and from this it has been inferred that Trajan was really the
builder, and that during his reign this canal was cleaned and rendered
navigable. As there is no further evidence than the name to prove that
Trajan undertook so important an enterprise, the "Amnis Trajanus" was
probably constructed during the Arabic period.

When Amr had conquered Egypt, according to another account, the caliph
Omar ordered him to ship rich supplies of grain to Mecca and Medina,
because during the pilgrimages these cities and often the whole of
Hedjaz suffered severely from famine. As it was extremely difficult to
send large quantities of provisions across the desert on the backs
of camels, it is supposed that to facilitate this transportation Omar
ordered the construction of the canal from a point near Cairo to the
head of the Red Sea. On account of his forethought in thus providing for
the pilgrims to the Hedjaz, Omar received the title of "Prince of the
Faithful" (Emir el-Momeneen), which thenceforth was adopted by his
successors in the caliphate. One hundred and thirty-four years after
this time, El-Mansur, the second caliph of the Abbasid dynasty, is said
to have closed the canal to prevent supplies from being shipped to one
of the descendants of Ali who had revolted at Medina. Since that time it
is probable that it has never been reopened, although there is a report
that the Sultan Hakim rendered it available for the p