8 years .. 14 ships .. in the Suez Canal

Long closure of the canal in the aftermath of the Egyptian-Israeli war

The Suez Canal, the lifeline of international trade, is now closed to traffic. Five days ago, a huge container ship sank in the canal, sinking billions of dollars in trade. However, this is not the first time that this closure has occurred in Suez, the world’s most important shipping route. The canal is the longest traffic jam in its history, in nearly five decades. As a result, 14 ships were stranded in the Suez waters for eight years.

Suez is a narrow, man-made canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean over the Red Sea. The canal is 193 km long and lies between Asia and Africa. This vital waterway was opened in Egypt in 1869. In 1967, the situation between Egypt and Israel became tense and led to war. On June 5, 1967, war broke out between the two countries. At the exact same time, 14 cargo ships entered the Suez waters. However, Egypt declared the canal a war zone and ordered ships to stop at Lake Murr. There, however, the ships stopped.

After six days of war, Israel captured the eastern shores of the Suez Canal. The West is under Egyptian control. But Egypt shut it down completely with the intention that Israel would not use the canal. Large landmines and old ships stopped at the ends of the canal to prevent ship movement. As a result, the 14 ships were unable to exit Suez.

8 years in the water ..

Days, months and years passed, but the ships could not cross the canal because the Suez was not opened. In 1973, a second war broke out between Egypt and Israel. This time there were large possessions and casualties on both sides. With this, the two countries reached an agreement. Withdrawals have begun on both sides of the canal. But the debris used to seal off the canal took nearly two years to clear the old ships. So on June 5, 1975, exactly 8 years after the canal was closed, the Suez Canal was reopened. With this, traffic started again.

Ship crews change.

The Egyptian government allowed the ship’s crew to return home after three months in the canal. However, the ships were ordered to remain there. But the ship’s owners were not ready to do so. The crew was sent in turns to protect the ships. At that time, the crew of these ships formed an association called the Great Bitter Lake Society. One ship was converted into a theater, one into a church, another ship into a hospital.

Sadatairi with the game songs ..

While on board the Suez Canal, the crew played songs. In 1968, he participated in the games under his name, the Olympiad. According to records, about 3,000 crew members worked on the ships in stages.

Yellow Fleet ..

The stranded ships in Suez are from Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Poland, Sweden, West Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. These were later called the Yellow Fleet. The ships were completely covered by desert sand as they remained in the Suez Canal for years. It is so named because it is yellow in appearance.

Eight years later, most of these ships have not been able to cross the canal. Two German ships were towed by the crew and the rest had to be closed with the help of other ships.

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