In the 1830s, Ibrahim Pasha initiated the first harbor project by creating an enclosed basin for lighters, next to the harbor’s southern quay. Although the inauguration of Khan Antoun Bey in 1853 led to some modernization of Beirut Port, the rapid expansion of maritime trade following the construction of the Suez Canal (1859-1871) called for a more ambitious response. In 1879, the Beirut Municipality sought a special decree from the Ottoman authorities in Istanbul to enlarge and modernize the harbor.