Muhammad Ali (1805-1848) – Governor, or Wali, of Egypt under the Ottoman empire; regarded as the founder of Egypt due to his movement towards modernization. His reign is characterized by “his elimination of opposition and the erasure of bygone eras; the active recruitment of foreigners (and the support for foreign education); and economic and military expansion.” (Ashmouni 56). He did not entirely emulate or copy European design or architecture, however, instead he blended Ottoman and European styles to assert a uniqueness, independence, and cosmopolitanism.
Abbas I (1848-1854) – nephew of Muhammad Ali, mostly known for closing schools, expelling French advisors, and getting rid of student missions to Europe. Under his rule, however, the crucial construction of a railroad connecting Alexandria and Cairo occurred, thereby making Cairo far more accessible to the world.
Muhammad Sa’id (1854-1863) – youngest son of Muhammad Ali, successor after death of Abbas I. He was educated by French instructors, including de Lesseps- who was invited to Egypt and came with plans for the Suez Canal. Sa’id signed the canal concession; the construction of which changed the future of Egypt.
Ismail (1863-1879)– son of Ibrahim, spurred architectural and urban growth during the years 1863-1879. He was invited by Napoleon III to participate at the Universal Exposition in Paris held at the spring of 1867. In order to establish Egypt amongst the European nations at the exposition, Ismail accepted the invitation. In effect, the Egyptian display attracted much interest, medals, and citations. During this trip to Europe, Ismail was thoroughly impressed by the city’s reconstruction and Parisien style. He came back to Egypt with grand plans for refurbishing and polishing Egypt in time for the celebration of the completion of the Suez Canal. During this hectic construction period of grand palaces and wide roads, Egypt acquired much debt – which later on resulted in British and French involvement.
Tewfik Pasha (1879-1892) – placed in rule by the British who used him as their pawn. His rule marks the establishment of British military occupation that would last through the 1950s and signal the beginning of modern colonial Egypt.
Ali Mubarak – placed in charge of the Ministry of Public Works by Ismail, and thus played a major role in executing the plans for the new city of Ismailiyah. This responsibility included redeveloping the older lands and drawing a plan for the entire city modeled after the style of Paris. Mubarak studied military and civil engineering in France (1844-1849) as “one of the few native Egyptians included in Muhammad Ali’s educational missions to Europe.” Under Ismail, he was also a member of the Privy Council and director of the Qanatar bridge. He has written books on military engineering and educational theory; one of his most popular works is al-Khitat al Tawfiqiyah.
Urabi Revolution (1879-1882) – nationalist uprising in Egypt against Tewfik Pasha and British and French influence. As a result, Urabi was exiled to Sri Lanka and Ismail was deposed and replaced by his son, Khedive Tewfik.
Khedive – Egyptian title granted by the Ottoman sultan to pasha of Ismail, and his successors Tewfik and Abbas II. Refers to “lord” or “ruler.”
Mamluk dynasty (1250-1517) – The dynasty that was in rule for six centuries before Muhammad Ali’s dynasty. The Mamluks maintained local power even after their fall during the Ottoman rule and French occupation until 1805 when Muhammad Ali took over. They were Muhammad Ali’s political rivals. He destroyed their architecture and rejected an idea proposed by Pascal-Xavier Coste to adopt the Mamluk style for the design of a mosque.
Cosmopolitanism – In Ashmouni’s article, Zubaida argues that cosmopolitanism is: “not the fact of multi-cultural coexistence, but the development of ways of living and thinking, styles of life which are deracinated from communities and cultures of origin, from conventional living, from family and home-centredness, and have developed into a culturally promiscuous life, drawing on diverse ideas, traditions and innovations.” The author makes a compelling argument of cosmopolitanism in Muhammad Ali’s reign.
Princess Nazli (1853-1913) – great-great granddaughter of Muhammad Ali Pasha. Raised in Istanbul, highly educated, member of the Ottoman- Egyptian royalty. Became familiar with salon culture during her time in Paris; she hosted one at her house from the 1880s to her death. This salon was a meeting place for the prominent European, Ottoman, and Egyptian intellectuals of the time. Her salon played a vital role in cultivating the talents of people and aiding the nationalist and intellectualist movements.
Ya’qub (James) Sanua (1839-1912) – editor of the first Arabic-language journal Abu Naddara Zarqa (the Man with Blue Glasses). He was a Jewish Egyptian from Italy. The publishing of the journal –which consisted of satire and political cartoons –caused him to be exiled to Paris. He continued publishing from Paris, however. The journal spoke to an Egyptian public that understood the culture and politics behind the visual language. The journal was published during heightened nationalist sentiments and also contributed to the twentieth-century modern art movement in Egypt.
Sheikh Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) – Religious scholar, or Mufti, who advocated educational reform. He believed Muslims should employ their own reasoning, as individuals, rather than relying on a smaller group of individuals to share information with the rest. In stressing the importance of education, he compared images and photos to poetry; while the European nations recorded history through images, the Muslims nations were accustomed to recording history by preserving poetry. He, thus, raised the importance of visuals and image-making in terms of the pursuit of knowledge, citing European thinkers in his article. He is known as a key figure in the founding of Islamic and Egyptian modernism.