THE IDEAS FOR BUILDING THE SUEZ CANAL AND ITS ROLE IN THE INTERACTION OF WESTERN AND EASTERN CULTURES

The construction of the Suez Canal, which holds special significance in international economics and geopolitics, represents an idea, that originated in ancient world history and was brought to reality through scientific and technological progress. It reflects the interaction between the West and the East, which became practically feasible thanks to the study of ancient Egyptian civilization manuscripts by European researchers. In addition, to freight transportation, the Suez Canal- is an important hub and a vivid expression of culture and ideology. To this day, the range of works dedicated to the history of the Suez Canal, its geopolitical and economic significance, the interests of Western countries, and the positions of Egypt is very broad. At the same time, the theme of the cultural potential of the Suez Canal and the ideological foundations of its construction still requires detailed research. In the presented article, based on Edward Said's concept of Orientalism and within the framework of the historical analysis of the West-East dichotomy, the scientific-ideological and cultural-spiritual aspects of the construction of the Suez Canal are identified, and the ideas of Saint-Simon and his supporters regarding the Suez Canal are examined. Based on documents from the archive of the foreign policy of the Russian Empire and documents from the Suez Canal Company, published on the official website of the French National Library, sociocultural issues such as migration waves, the implementation of pilgrimage through the Suez Canal, and the emergence of cities and their influence on the change in the ethnic composition of the country are analyzed.

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