From about 2500 B.C., inhabitants of the Tell worked the bedrock to create the first harbor facilities, allowing small boats to be pulled ashore, while larger ships anchored in relative safety. Over the years, the harbor slowly developed until the 1830s, when Ibrahim Pasha initiated the first harbor project by creating an enclosed basin for lighters. 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.