Soliman Pasha (al-Faransawi)

Soliman Pasha al-Faransawi (Süleyman Pasha the French; May or July 1788 – 12 March 1860), born Joseph Anthelme Sève, was a French-born Egyptian commander.

Soliman Pasha was born in Lyon. He was a sailor. Later he joined the army of Napoleon Bonaparte. He fought at the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo. Then he converted to Islam and was recruited by Muhammad Ali of Egypt to help build the Egyptian army on the European model. He was placed in charge of a new military academy at Aswan built to train a new model army of Sudanese slaves.

He married a Greek woman,Maria Myriam Hanem, with whom he had three children, Nazli (future grandmother of Queen Nazli), Aasma and Mahadi. His great-granddaughter was Queen Nazli of Egypt, wife of King Fuad, and mother of King Farouk. Suleiman Pasha died in Cairo.

He still has many descendants living in Egypt.

His tomb is present in old-Cairo "مصر القديمه" in Cairo. - Cairo and the body of his wife Maria Myriam Hanem is buried nearby.

There is a statue of him in the Cairo Military Museum and a bust at the Préfecture in Lyon.

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Wikipedia