The political history of the Attic state… An Ottoman bridge linking Cairo to Ankara | culture

In October 2024, the Turkish ambassador to Cairo, Salih Mutlu Şen, announced that he had asked Egyptian scholars of Turkish studies to translate the book “The Political History of the Ottoman Empire” into Arabic, which was written by Grand Vizier Muhammad Kamil Pasha al-Qubarsi, one of the joint Turkish-Egyptian historical figures.

Mutlu Shen confirmed in a tweet on the “X” platform his personal support for this work, which was written into the Arabic language by one of the Ottoman leadership figures. He said, “Grand Vizier Muhammad Kamel Pasha of Cyprus was a friend of the Kavalali family Muhammad Ali Pasha and the duties he held in Egypt make his writings about this period of our common history valuable.”

Recently, as part of the embassy’s activities to celebrate the centenary of diplomatic relations between Ankara and Cairo. The Turkish Embassy in Egypt celebrated the launch of the Arabic translation of the book entitled “The Political History of the Ottoman Empire,” one of the most important works of the Ottoman Grand Vizier Kamel Pasha of Cyprus in the nineteenth century.

The event was attended by a group of academics, historians, artists and journalists.

In his speech, Ambassador Shen, who wrote the introduction to the Arabic version, said that translating this book will contribute to strengthening cultural and academic relations between Türkiye and Egypt.

He added: “This work is not just a translation, but rather serves as a historical bridge that strengthens the ties between the two ancient peoples, and contributes to consecrating the common history of Turkey and Egypt with new primary sources.”

Shen mentioned that Kamel Pasha of Cyprus spent part of his life in Egypt, where he received his education at the Al-Alsun School in Cairo, and worked for a period with the Khedive Abbas Hilmi.

He pointed out the great importance of the ideas of Kamel Pasha of Cyprus and his experiences, which shed light on pivotal periods in the history of the Ottoman Empire.

Kamel Pasha of Cyprus (1832-1913)

Kamel Pasha of Cyprus was born in the city of Lefkosa on the island of Cyprus to a Turkish family that immigrated from the town of Anamur in Mersin, southern Türkiye. His father, Salih Agha, was an artillery officer in the Ottoman army.

Kamel Pasha received his basic education in Cyprus, learning Arabic, Persian, French and Greek thanks to his passion and talent for languages.

In 1845, he went to Egypt and joined the “Al-Alsun School,” and when this school later turned into a military school, he also received military education, and graduated with the rank of “lieutenant in the cavalry.”

In 1849, he was appointed as a translator in the service of the Khedive Governor of Egypt, Abbas Hilmi Pasha, whom he met through Abdi Pasha, Egypt’s director of knowledge at the time.

Thanks to his success in learning languages ​​quickly, he gained the appreciation of the Khedive. He was promoted to the rank of “Benbashi” (colonel-colonel) and appointed as an English teacher to his son, “Ilhami Bey.” The friendship between them lasted for a long time, as they traveled together to Europe and Istanbul.

In 1860, Kamel Pasha entered the service of the Ottoman Empire and was appointed Director of Endowments in Cyprus, then he was appointed District Governor of Tuzla District in Cyprus in 1863.

He then held several positions moving around the country, where he worked in the Levant, Aleppo, Tripoli, Beirut, and Jerusalem.

In May 1880, he was appointed Superintendent of the “Hamayouni Endowments,” then Superintendent of Knowledge in September of the same year.

In 1885, Kamel Pasha was appointed to the position of Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire, and this first position lasted about six years. He then assumed the position several other times in different periods, the last of which was in 1912.

Kamel Pasha died in 1913 in his hometown of Lefkousha.