Ottoman Egypt
Egypt, 1517–1805.
The Ottomans conquered Egypt in 1517 and ruled it through a governor sent from Istanbul, while Mamluk households kept much local power. Napoleon's invasion in 1798 shook the old order.
Seat of power: Cairo
Rulers
Selim I
Ottoman Sultan, 1512–1520
Conquered Egypt in 1517 after defeating the last Mamluk sultan. He took the title of servant of Mecca and Medina and left Egypt to a governor, keeping the Mamluk elite as local administrators.
Portrait of Selim I: Naḳḳāş ʿOs̠mān, Public domain, file
Suleiman the Magnificent
Ottoman Sultan, 1520–1566
Reorganised Egypt's government with a law code in 1525 that set out the duties of the governor, the army garrisons and the tax system. Egypt became one of the empire's richest provinces.
Portrait of Suleiman the Magnificent: Circle of Titian, Public domain, file
Culture
- Coffee houses spread through Cairo in the 16th century and become centres of social life.
- Public fountains with a Quran school above them, the sabil-kuttab, become a common sight in Cairo.
- Napoleon's scholars find the Rosetta Stone in 1799 and publish the vast Description de l'Egypte.
Picture
A plate from the Description de l'Egypte, the survey made by the scholars who came with Napoleon's army.
Image: AnonymousUnknown author, Public domain, file
