Michel Abdelal Signed handwritten letter, The exiles of the Egyptian Campaign

  
Michel Abdelal, Agha of the Janissaries of Cairo - The exiles of the Egyptian Campaign - Rare signed letter - Recommendation from Father Gabriel Taouil - Marseille - Oriental Seal - 1806. Signed letter from the former supreme commander of the Janissaries of Cairo, Michel Abdelal Aga, dated 30 August 1806 in Marseille.

Written in brown ink on a sheet of laid paper with watermark, featuring a superb wet oriental seal in black ink. This letter, addressed to “friend and son Douchanoi,” probably the young engineer Louis Duchanoy, a veteran of the Commission of Sciences and Arts in Egypt, is a passionate letter of recommendation.

Written in a characteristic phonetic French used by Eastern elites aligned with the Empire, Abdelal Aga announces to his correspondent the arrival of Reverend Father Gabriel Taouil (“taovil”), a priest exiled from Egypt. He asks Duchanoy to introduce this priest to the Secretary General of the War Administration in order to revive memories of the Egyptian Campaign: “to have him reminded of the old friendships we had in Egypt.” He describes this priest as one of his most sincere friends among “all the Egyptians.” Dimensions: 20 x 25.2 cm. Condition: Very good condition of preservation.

See photos for more details. Number of pages: 1 page. Carefully shipped in a rigid, waterproof package.

Former supreme commander of the Janissaries of Cairo, Michel Abdelal submitted to the French generals at the end of the Egyptian Campaign and fled Ottoman reprisals by joining France in 1801. Napoleon Bonaparte then made him an officer in the prestigious squadron of the Mamluks of the Imperial Guard. Established at the military depot in Marseille and converted to Catholicism, he used his powerful connections to protect and administer the community of Eastern refugees. A true symbol of this historical integration, his son would later distinguish himself brilliantly as a cavalry general under the Second Empire.

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