Princess Kadriye Hüseyin (1888-1955) was an Ottoman Egyptian born in Cairo. She was the daughter of Hüseyin Kamil, who became Egypt’s first sultan after Egypt seceded from the Ottoman Empire.
She was one of the most important poets and writers in Turkish literature in the 20th century.
She knew Turkish, Arabic and French, the language of contemporary civilisation, yet she did not enjoy the fame she deserved in Türkiye and Egypt.
To highlight her role for future generations, Turkish Ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Şen scripted a documentary “Kadriye” which was screened at his residence in Cairo last week.
He explores the Egyptian-Turkish relationship, which dates back to the 9th century through the Mamluk and the 400-year Ottoman reign in Egypt.
“During this era, Egypt and Türkiye were under one flag, shared the same identity and co-existed,” the ambassador said.
This presence and interaction between the two peoples became an integral part of Egyptian culture.
“A large number of Turks came to Egypt from various ranks and professions. At that time, this cultural exchange gained momentum during the reign of the Mohamed Ali Pasha dynasty in Egypt,” he added.
As the daughter of Sultan Hüseyin Kamil, Princess Kadriye presented her vision of the Muslim woman in light of the changing circumstances of the times.
Also, her belief wholeheartedly in the Turkish national struggle and the sacrifice that Türkiye had to make after fighting World War I and her effort to provide all the support she could to win this struggle indicates that, as an Egyptian Ottoman Turkish woman she fully believes that the safety of Türkiye is the safety of the Islamic world.
“She lived between two countries, sometimes on the banks of the Nile and sometimes on the Bosphorus,” Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, former Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, was quoted from the documentary.
“But she cherished the Ottoman connection that brought together the Islamic nation at that time.”
He said that Princess Kadriye expressed this clearly in her writings. She authored five books in Turkish in 11 years. Some of her works were translated into Arabic at that time.
Among these books is one about four women of Islamic history: Lady Khadija (the first wife and the first follower of the Islamic prophet Muhammad), Lady Aisha (the prophet’s third and youngest wife. Her father Abu Bakr became the first caliph to succeed Muhammad) and Abbasa bint al Mahdi (daughter of Caliph al Mahdi and sister of caliph Harun al Rashid) and Shajar al-Durr (Sultan of Egypt in 1250).
“Surely Lady Aisha and Lady Khadija were models for Muslim women. As for Abbsah bint al Mahdi, being the daughter of a caliph and sister of a caliph, beyond her status as a member of the caliphate family,” İhsanoğlu said.
As for Sultan Shajar al-Durr, he added, she demonstrated courage and success in ruling the country. “She ended the Crusader invasion among other things. She holds a special place in the history of Egypt and the entire region.”
Egyptian actor Ahmed Shaker, who portrayed many Turkish roles in his works, said that people always believe that any princess would be born into luxury and beauty and would live for herself before others. But this wasn’t the reality for princess Kadriye.
“She felt her mission towards society was to engage women in education and work for the community of which they make up half.”
Kadriye, who had the sincerity and determination to put her ideas into practice, supported the Turkish national struggle and its leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk during the life and death struggle that the Turkish nation faced after World War I.
She donated the Huber Palace, which she bought with her husband, Mahmoud Khayri Pasha, to the Notre-Dame de Sion school, which was later purchased and is still dedicated to the Presidency of the Republic.
İhsanoğlu said that she also wrote a book entitled ‘Ripples of Thoughts’, which, as the name suggests, reflects the depth of her contemplation on matters within the Islamic world.
She also wrote a number of books in the fields of history, poetry, travel literature, and biographies. She also contributed to a Cairo-based women’s magazine L’Égyptienne.
Kadriye was the eldest of the three daughters of Khedive Ismail’s son, Hüseyin Kamil, from his second wife, Sultana Melek Turhan Hanim. Princess Kadriye is buried in Cairo.
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