The Maghrebians and Foreign Trade of Egypt during the Reign of Ottoman Dynasty (923-1213 A.H/ 1517-1798 A.D)

Egypt has always had an effective role on the economy of the pre-modern world due to its strategic geographical location. In the Islamic period, in addition to the passage of commercial caravans from this land as one of the main trade routes, the passage of Hajj caravans of North Africa also added to its economic importance. Conquering Cairo by Sultan Selim I in the year of 923 A.H/1517 A.D, mainly due to economic incentives, despite some damages to the Egypt’s economy, provided in with new opportunities, especially in the field of foreign trade. The propulsion and stimulus of the commercial economy in Egypt, in addition to Egyptian and Syrian merchants, were Maghrebian families immigrated to Egypt from areas such as Algeria, Tunisia, Tripoli, Andalusia and Morocco. These families have played a major role in the economic and commercial prosperity of Egypt in Ottoman period through various commercial and economic activities. In the present research, introducing the most important Maghrebian commercial families and their sucsess, the commercial role of these families and their effects on the economy of Ottoman Egypt have been described and explained.