Mustafa Ali’s “Description of Cairo” as a source on the history of Egypt in the end of the XVIth century

Abstract

Ottoman rule in Egypt lasted approximately three centuries: from the overthrow of the Mamluk Sultanate by Selim I in 1517 up to the French invasion in 1798. Formally, Egypt remained a part of the Ottoman Empire until World War I. The first, i.e. 16th century, is generally described in less detail due to the lack of materials and sources for this period. The publication is focused on one of the sources of the second half of the 16th century in the history of Egypt, the “Description of Cairo of 1599” written by the Ottoman statesman, historian and poet Mustafa Ali Effendi (1541–1600). This work was completed by the author shortly before his death. It contents a collection of the author’s notes about everything that he saw in Cairo during his short stay in this city. The author gives little space to historical events and mainly describes the various aspects in the life of Egyptians. The book contains a lot of vivid descriptions of Egyptian society including information related to the ruling class and the army. Refs 13.