TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Cities

When did Cairo become Ottoman?

Today: Egypt · Middle East and Egypt

362years under Ottoman rule

Cairo came under Ottoman rule in 1517; Ottoman rule ended in 1882. It changed hands in between; there are 2 separate Ottoman periods. After Muhammad Ali's rise Ottoman influence in the city steadily declined.

Cairo
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1517–1798 · 281 years1801–1882 · 81 years

Chronology

  1. 1517
    Became Ottoman

    After his victory at Ridaniya Selim I took Egypt and Cairo in January 1517, ending the Mamluk Sultanate.

    Sultan: Selim I
  2. 1798
    Left Ottoman rule

    Napoleon Bonaparte occupied Egypt.

    Sultan: Selim III
  3. 1801
    Became Ottoman

    The French left Egypt; after the turmoil of 1801–1805 the country came under Muhammad Ali.

    Sultan: Selim III
  4. 1882
    Left Ottoman rule

    Britain occupied Egypt; Ottoman sovereignty survived only on paper until 1914.

    Sultan: Abdulhamid II

How the total is counted: years of actual Ottoman rule are added up. Temporary occupations shorter than a year (that were reversed) are not subtracted; they appear as notes in the chronology.

In the atlas

On the atlas map the city lies in the region “Egypt”. Map colours work at region level, so the city's own dates may differ from the region's by a few years.

Open the map in 1517

Source: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, “KAHİRE” (Turkish); text written for the atlas.