The First Map of Modern Egypt Mohammed Ali's Firman and the Map of 1841 Author(s): Gideon Biger

Source: Middle Eastern Studies, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Oct., 1978), pp. 323-325 Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4282717 . Accessed: 10/05/2011 02:42
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The First map of Modern Egypt MohammedAli's Firmanand the Map of 1841
Gideon Biger
At the end of 1831, an Egyptianarmy, under MohammedAli's son, Ibrahim Pasha, invadedSyria.After some battlesthis army reacheda point 100 Km of Istanbuland in 1833, as a result of the Convention of Kutahiga,Syria and Adana became parts of Egypt under MohammedAli's rule. For eight years the Egyptian frontier as it had been up to the Ottoman conquest of 1517 stood on the crests of the Taurus mountains and the Euphrates. In 1840, the EuropeanPowers (excludingFrance)intervenedto protectthe sultanwho had rashlyattackedthe Egyptians,and MohammedAli was forced to leave Syria. By virtue of the firmans,issued on Feb. 13 and June 1 1841, MohammedAli surrendered Crete(the governshipof which he was grantedin 1821), Syria and Adana, which revertedto the direct control of the Porte, while in compensationthe sultan grantedhim the hereditaryrule of Egypt. The sultan's firmanswere accompaniedby a map showing the boundaries of the area under MohammedAli's rule and was the firstmap to indicatethe formationof Modern Egypt as a sovereign state. The map was sent to Egyptbut was lost there. The Egyptianauthoritiesand who ruled Egypt from 1882 'knew' the boundaries, the Britishadministrators used new maps but never saw the original one. An official map of Egypt accordingto the sultan's firman was publishedin 1926.1 In the years following the Italian occupation of Libya there were some disputesover the boundariesbetween the Italianarea and the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, concerningthe 'Owenat'and 'Sarratriangle'in the south-west corner of Egypt.2The officialsof the BritishForeignOfficetriedto trace the old Map of Egypt in order to use it againstthe Italianclaim, but the Map was not in in Egypt.The Britishambassador Turkey,Sir PercyLoraine,was askedto look for the Map, or an originalcopy, in the Ottomanarchives,In March 1934 he sent a telegramtelling the F.O.: Map has been found.3 The Turkish Prime Minister's Department, which had the custody of ancient archives, were apparentlyreluctantto let the Map go out of official Turkishkeepingbut agreedto producea photographof it. Two Britishexperts carefullyexaminedthe Map and comparedit with the photographwhich they found to be a perfectlygenuine reproduction. These experts,Mr Knightand Mr Bowker, had no hesitationin concluding that the reproductionwas the authentic Map. Although well preserved, it showed clear signs of age, and 'mightwell have been 90 or 100 years old' (in 1933 G.B.).The Mapwas mountedon silk and framedin a narrow bindingof the same material.4 The Turkishinscriptionin manuscript,reproducedin the photograh,at the bottomof the Map5readsas follows: 'Drawn in the officeof the ImperialLand Surveyors,being a copy of the sealed map graciously sent in the year 1256 (1841 G.B.) when the province of Egypt was grantedto the late Mohammed Ali Pasha with the privilegeof inheritance'.

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THE FIRST MAP OF MODERN EGYPT

325

The Map, originally an early 19th century Turkishmap of Egypt and the surroundingarea,shows coastlines,as were know at that time, citiesand other settlements,caravan routes and posts, the Nile and some old canals, From a cartographical point of view it is an interestingmap, however it is even more interestingfrom a politicaland historicalpoint of view. The Map shows the lines of the Ottomanprovincesbeforethe 1841 firman, indicatingthe line between Egypt and Libyain the west along the 230E (250E of todays maps-G.B.),say startingnear Matruhon the Mediterranean cost, at least 200 Km east of the presentboundary.In the south, the Sudanesefrontier of Egypt ran near Aswan, 250 Km north of the present boundary.Another line in the north east corner shows the boundarybetween Egypt, Hejazand Palestine.The line runs from Suez toward Rafa (not shown on the Map) and then eastward. The thick line on the Map is the importantone. This line that has been drawn on the Map shows the area that was granted to Mohammed Ali. Accordingto this Map, Sudan, which was capturedby the Egyptianarmy as early as 1819. was not granted to Mohammed Ali.6 The Sinai peninsula remainedunder Hejaz(Turkish)administration and Palestineended in Rafa Dead sea Line. No line was drawn in the west probably because it was a common practiceamong cartographers the early 19th centuryto leave the of desertarea as res nullius;. Britishofficialsthought that it does not follow that territorywhich was not specificallyincludedin Egyptbelong to Libya,but the Map did not help the BritishForeignOffioein that dispute.The map was buried in the F.O. archives, where it was discoveredduring my researchesthere. As it was commonly believedby Middle East historiansthat the Map was lost forever,it is importantto bring it to the knowledgeof readersin the hope that future researcherswill benefit from it.
NOTES 1. Document no. 6 in Egypt Green Book 1926. 2. Vol. F.O. 371/17033-36 and 10833-4 in P.R.O. Crown copyright records publishedby permissionof Controller,H.M. StationeryOffice. 3. Angora to F.O. tel. no. 24(R) 12.3.1934, F.O. 371/ 18034. 4. Loraine(Angora)to the R.H. Sir J. Simon (F.O.) 17.3.1934 no. 142 in F.O. file 8044 in F.O. 371/18034. 5. M.P.K. 319 in P.R.O (maps library). 6. Some Frenchand Britishscholarsstatedthat Sudan was grantedin May 1841 but this Map does not show this.