Stones of the Suez Canal: A discourse of absence and power in Cyprus and Egypt

This paper explores the claim that stones from Cypriot archaeological sites, and other historical public and private structures, were used to build the Suez Canal. The claim appears in vernacular lore and in scholarly anecdote, neither of which seem to have a basis in fact. By paring down this narrative and looking for its sources, the paper examines practices of stone reuse, while diffusing some of the speciousness that results from anti-colonial commitments that underlie such claims. The narrative is explored from an archival, historical perspective but also draws from contemporary site visits and personal interviews.