Aida Mary Jane Phillips-Matz argues that the source is actually Temistocle Solera. Isma'il Pasha, Khedive of Egypt, commissioned Verdi to write an opera for performance to celebrate the opening of the Khedivial Opera House, paying him 150,000 francs, but the premiere was delayed because of the Siege of Paris (1870–71), during the Franco-Prussian War, when the scenery and costumes were stuck in the French capital, and Verdi's "Rigoletto" was performed instead. "Aida" eventually premiered in Cairo in late 1871. Contrary to popular belief, the opera was not written to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, for which Verdi
1974 Suez Canal Clearance Operation operations were completed by 19 December 1974. 1974 Suez Canal Clearance Operation Following the Yom Kippur War between Egypt and Israel in 1973, an international agreement was reached in October 1973 to provide measures to reopen the Suez Canal. The U.S.-led clearing effort undertaken in 1974 consisted of three operations. The sweeping of mines in the Suez Canal by naval units from the United States, the United Kingdom and France (Operation Nimbus Star), the provision of training and advisory assistance for land and water explosive ordnance clearance for Egyptian forces (Operation Nimbus Moon) and the removal and salvage of wrecks