|
 The Suez Canal documents are an impressive source
for research and study in the field of modern and contemporary history,
as well as in the arena of international trading relations during the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries, not to mention many topics related to
sociology, since new cities were founded on the banks of the Canal.
Given the momentousness of these documents, the BA was keen to acquire
them years before its inauguration to enrich its holdings. They were
originally kept in two different places; the Association du Souvenir de
Ferdinand de Lesseps et du Canal de Suez, Paris, and the Suez Canal
Authority, Egypt. The former's collection is mostly in French. The
latter's comes in abundant quantity especially the documents accumulated
after the nationalization of the Canal in 1956.
Ensuing the negotiations with the Suez Canal Authority held years ago to
acquire their holdings, the BA has been authorized to borrow and copy the
entire collection on microfilms done by its Microfilm Laboratory.
Afterwards, the Association du Souvenir de Ferdinand de Lesseps et du
Canal de Suez made a handsome donation of their microform documents. The
Manuscript Center has recently prepared an exhaustive, easy-to-consult
catalog of both collections released in Arabic and French. |
