DESCENDANTS OF SOLDIER ALI AGHA ALANYALI (AVOLNYALI)
It was not uncommon for sons and daughters of Mohammed Ali's imported soldiers to end up in separate cemeteries/graveyards. Rambling towards Imam al-Shafei Mosque you inadvertently pass by five such cemeteries (Mustafa Amin, Faizi-Delawor, Nefissa Sabry, Eloui-Abou Alam, Chamsi) scattered across the length of Imam al-Shafei Street. Buried therein are the sons, daughters and grandchildren of soldier Ali Agha from Avlonya, Albania. While the location of his tomb is unknown, the separate graveyards of his five sons and two daughters are a testimony he existed. From among his progeny we find several cabinet ministers, legislators, senior diplomats, army generals, noted university professors, a vice president and a presidential hopeful.
Adjoining graveyards of Mohammed Faizi Pasha and son in law Mohammed-Ali Delawor Bey with separate entrances
derelict tombs of Mohammed Faizi Pasha Ibn Ali Agha Avlonyali and his wife Hamida
elegy by poet Ahmed Shawky pinned onto Mohammed Faizi Pasha's tomb (d. 14 September 1911)
tombstone of Mohammed Faizi Pasha's wife Hamida and daughter Iglal
Iglal Mohammed Faizi
Hassan Mohammed Faizi Bey
Ali Agha's great-grandson Faizi Delawor
street sign in Helwan
@ Sabry graveyard
Nefissa bint Ali Agha Avlonyali (Mrs Hassan Sabry d. 6 February 1934)
Nefissa's sons and grandsons including a socialist post-1952 prime minister
@ Mustafa Amin graveyard
Mustafa Amin Ibn Ali Agha Avlonyali (d. 9 December 1910) and his nephew/son in law Moh. Kamaleldine Mohammed Faizi (d. 26 August 1945)
@ Mustafa Amin graveyard
Mahi-Nur (d. 3 may 1929) wife of Mustafa Amin and their daughter Wadood (Mrs Kamal Mohammed Faizi d. 5 September 1941)
@ Mustafa Amin graveyard
Fatma bint Ali Agha Avlonyali (Mrs Mustafa Taher d. 1 March 1913)
@ Mustafa Amin graveyard
great great grandson movie director Mohammed Shebl d. 2 October 1996
@ Kadry graveyard
Zeinab (d. 5 March 1925) daughter of Ali-Kadry Ibn Ali Agha Avlonyali
@ Kadry graveyard
Nur Hanem (Mrs Noureldine d 21 Ocotber 1956) daughter of Ali-Kadry Ibn Ali Agha Avlonyali
caretaker Ashraf Ramadan in front of graveyard belonging to Ali Agha's great grandson Wafdist edcuation minister Ali Chamsi Pasha. He had held the portfolio of finance all of 4 days just before Saad Zaghloul's government was forced to resign following the assassination of the Sirdar in February 1925
Ali Amin Chamsi Pasha's final resting place in his maternal family's 172 year old spartan and much diminished graveyard
Eloui - Abou Alam graveyards where rests Ihsan Mustafa Amin Ibn Ali Agha and her large progeny
downtown street signs honoring Doctor Mohammed Eloui Pasha and minister of justice Sabry Abou Alam Pasha
photos by Samir W Raafat