Marcus Simaika

Marcus Simaika (1864–1944) was an Egyptian Coptic leader, politician, and founder of the Coptic Museum in Cairo.

Simaika was born in Cairo on 28 February 1864 to one of the oldest Coptic families of Cairene notables. The Simaikas prospered in the service of state and church; many served as magistrates.

Simaika started his education at St. Mark’s Coptic Patriarchal school in Cairo. As was custom at the time, he was chosen by his father to become a priest, as at least one son of the leading Coptic families was destined to priesthood. As a result, his father forbade him to learn English fearing it would detract him from his ecclesiastical studies. Simaika went on a hunger strike until his father gave in and allowed him to study English. At school he studied the Bible and learned Arabic, Coptic, Greek, and English. He then transferred to Frères des écoles chrétiennes to learn French and graduated in 1882.

Upon graduation, Simaika joined the Engineering Department of the Egyptian State Railways as a translator then as an accountant, and in 1888 was promoted to Chief of Contracts and Purchases. In 1890, he became Secretary to the Chairman of the Board. Eight years later he was promoted to Director of the Commercial Department and in 1901 Director General of Accounts and Audit. He reorganized the accounts system of the railways, telegraphs and port of Alexandria, rooting out deep-seated endemic corruption and inefficiency. He became the only Egyptian to reach such high rank.

In 1904, after the Fashoda incident and the Entente Cordiale, the French handed over the administration of the Egyptian government to the British who decided that all important departments would be headed by British officials. Simaika was asked to stay on for another two years to help his replacement, then allowed to retire on an exceptional pension with the addition of eight years to his period of service.

Simaika was appointed a permanent Member of the Legislative Council of the Khedivate of Egypt from 1907 to 1911 and was the reporter of the Finance and Budget Committee. He was then re-appointed to the Council from 1912 to 1922. He became a Member of the Superior Educational Council from 1907 to 1922. He joined the Comite de Conservation des Monuments Arabes et Coptes first as a Member then as President of its Permanent Committee in 1905 and 1929, respectively. He worked tirelessly on the until his death in 1944. He was proposed to be the Coptic minister of the cabinet of Muhammad Said Pasha in 1910. During his membership of the Legislative Council, Simaika succeeded in introducing religious instruction for non-Muslim pupils in all government schools. He also succeeded in obtaining grants to all private schools for boys and girls subject to inspection by the Ministry of Education.

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