Abstract:

The largest provincial capital of the Ottoman Empire, Cairo, went through a painful modernization process in the 19th century, accompanied by the coexistence of traditional life and new concepts imported from the West. The foundations of Egypt’s modernization were laid during the period of Muhammad Ali Pasha, and the reforms carried out during his reign were followed by the dynasty after him. Significant changes in the cultural and artistic environment of the city took place during the governorship of Ismail Pasha, Muhammad Ali Pasha’s grandson, in the second half of the century. During Ismail Pasha’s reign as Egypt’s first khedive (1863-1879), a period of rebuilding and reconstruction of Cairo was initiated with the privileges obtained. The Western understanding of art spread from the administration center to the streets, and efforts were made to declare modernized Egypt to all of Europe. The modernization of the Khedive was based on the civilization he witnessed in Europe. During the Ismail Pasha era; education, culture, and art of the West were brought to Cairo through many different means. The economic, political, educational, and cultural reforms implemented aimed to represent and announce the urban policies in the city. A region surrounded by wide streets, parks, and gardens was planned in the west of the city through the work of French city planner Pierre Grand. Cairo was divided into two separate silhouettes. İsmail Pasha’s modernization was not limited to urban planning and development works. The Khedive wanted to bring all of the visual arts he encountered in the West to Egypt as a representation of modernity. At the same time with the construction process of the city, many artists were also patronized. By the time of Ismail Pasha, Western artists were directly or indirectly supported by the administration, and they were given the opportunity to work comfortably in the city. In addition to painters, architects, landscape architects, European sculptors and photographers were hosted in the city. However, despite all these efforts, it does not seem possible to argue that a unique culture and art policy could be put forward during the reign of Ismail Pasha. Although the culture and art environment, copied from Europe without being included, attracted the desired attention, it could not directly affect the life of the public. Moreover, the Western cultural life and European styles adopted from the West, which can be observed in certain parts of the city, require a versatile interpretation. Khedive Ismail Pasha’s desire to create a power independent from the Ottoman Empire, his rebuilding of the urban identity with Western images and his efforts to surround it with the modern one were seen as a tool to reinforce his own power. However, as a result of the sixteen years of effort, Cairo turned into not a city that adapts to the contemporary world between tradition and modernity, but rather into a visible stage of Western ideology.

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