Ibrahim Bey

Ibrahim Bey (1735 – 1817) was an Mameluke chieftain, military commander and joint ruler of Egypt.

He was born somewhere in what is today today either the Czech Republic or Slovakia, and was captured by Ottoman slave raiders. He was renamed Ibrahim by his masters (in accordance with Turkish custom at the time, this was his only name; "bey" was an honorific bestowed upon him later).

Ibrahim was owned the ruler of Egypt at the time, and through loyal service, was freed and given authority over the city of Cairo. When his former master died, he became joint ruler of the country with Murad Bey.

At the Battles of the Pyramids and the Heliopolis Ibrahim fought against Napoleon's armies, but was defeated on both occaisons. These defeats effectively ended his reign over the country, and he died in obscurity in 1817, having survived Mohammad Ali Pasha's 1811 massacre of Mameluke leaders.

See also

• Saqaliba