Egypt during the Ottoman Era

Asharq Alawsat (Ayman Hamed)

The Egyptian Supreme Council of Culture (affiliated to the Ministry of Culture in Egypt) in cooperation with the Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA) in Turkey recently concluded an international conference entitled, ‘Egypt During the Ottoman Era’ that lasted four days and was held in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

A number of rare manuscripts dating back to the period of Ottoman rule in Egypt that encompassed three centuries were showcased as part of the conference in an exhibition entitled ‘Egypt in the Ottoman Documents’. Over 80 manuscripts, images and maps were put on display, all of which dated back to the Ottoman Empire era in Egypt (1517-1914). In those four centuries of rule, the empire’s political power fluctuated between strength and weakness.

The manuscripts included an Ottoman decree dating back to 1568 that was issued by the Ottoman Sultan Selim II (1566-1574). The decree referred to the necessity of building a channel to link the Red Sea and the Mediterranean long before the Suez Canal was built at the beginning of the 19th Century, which was officially inaugurated by Ismail Pasha (1830-1895) as part of a grand celebration in 1869. The exhibition also displayed manuscripts from 1573 sent to the ruler of Egypt and the treasurer instructing that the necessary funds be sent for the restoration of the Kaaba and to build aqueducts in Mecca.

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