Melek Tourhan
Encyclopedia
Melek Hassan Tourhan (27 October 1869 – 4 February 1956) was the second wife of Sultan
Hussein Kamel of Egypt
. After her husband ascended the throne in 1914, she became known as Sultana Melek .
in 1869, Melek was a Circassian. However, unlike many Circassians in the Ottoman
era, she was not a slave. Emine Foat Tugay, whose mother Princess Nimet Mouhtar was a friend of Melek, described her as "a pocket Venus
, tiny but perfectly proportioned, a pretty, lively brunette, with great charm." Tugay states in her family memoirs that "as a child [Melek] was delicate and was often sent to spend a fortnight with Neşedil Kadinefendi [wife of Khedive Isma'il and mother of Princess Nimet] in the salubrious air of Zaaferan
."
Melek's father Hasan Pasha was a captain
in the Ottoman Navy
. When Melek was still an infant
, he offered her for adoption in order to improve her lot in life. Melek was adopted by Djechme Affet, the third wife of Khedive
Isma'il Pasha
of Egypt. In 1887, she married Hussein Kamel, the khedive's favorite son. She bore him three daughters: Kadria, Samiha and Badiha. Hussein Kamel was not expected to ascend the throne when Melek married him. When his eldest brother Khedive Tewfik
died in 1892, he was succeeded by his son Abbas Hilmi II
, who fathered two sons of his own during his reign. However, events took an unexpected turn with the outbreak of World War I
. The United Kingdom
, which was occupying Egypt at the time, deposed Abbas and installed his uncle Hussein Kamel as Egypt's new ruler. Hussein Kamel was given the title of Sultan of Egypt
by the British in order to emphasize the end of Egypt's status as a vassal of the Ottoman Sultan. As a result, Melek received the title of Sultana
. Hussein Kamel invented for himself and his wife the style
of Hautesse , which can be translated into English as Gloriness.
Hussein Kamel was a family man who treated Melek with respect and devotion. During his reign, Melek kept a low profile. In keeping with the other royal consorts who preceded her, she attended performances at the Khedivial Opera House
, although she was seated in a box
separated from the rest of the audience by a Mashrabiya
. When Hussein Kamel died in 1917, his only surviving son Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein
(born of a previous marriage) renounced his succession rights, and so the throne went to Hussein Kamel's brother Fuad
. On 11 October 1917, only two days after his ascension to the throne, Fuad issued a rescript
allowing Melek to keep her sultanic title. When a formal order of precedence
was established for the Kingdom of Egypt
in 1932, he issued another rescript whereby Melek was placed second only to Queen Nazli
in the order of precedence, and before all the other princesses of the Royal Family
.By then, Melek was considered the Sultana, while Nazli was considered the Queen. As a widow, Melek was no longer secluded but was visible at official occasions and photographs, such at the wedding between King Farouk in 1938. In 1923, along with Crown Prince Leopold
and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium
, Melek visited the newly discovered tomb
of Tutankhamun
in Luxor
. The Western press of the time often referred to her as the Dowager
Sultana, a title that carried no legal standing in Egypt.
Melek never remarried and spent her four decades of widowhood travelling with her slaves to Europe
, Lebanon
and Luxor
.Her title stayed as Sultana even after the coronation of King Farouk I. Her principal residence was her palace in the Cairo
suburb of Heliopolis
, opposite the famous Villa Baron Empain
. Historian Samir Raafat describes the widowed Melek as an "aging Sultana [who] held an outdated a-la-Turca court
in her zany Heliopolis palace." Melek died in Cairo on 4 February 1956, having witnessed the 1952 Revolution and the ensuing abolition of the monarchy.
Sultan of Egypt
Sultan of Egypt was the status held by the rulers of Egypt after the establishment of the Ayyubid Dynasty of Saladin in 1174 until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. Though the extent of the Egyptian Sultanate ebbed and flowed, it generally included Sham and Hejaz, with the consequence that the...
Hussein Kamel of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. After her husband ascended the throne in 1914, she became known as Sultana Melek .
Biography
Born in IstanbulIstanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in 1869, Melek was a Circassian. However, unlike many Circassians in the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
era, she was not a slave. Emine Foat Tugay, whose mother Princess Nimet Mouhtar was a friend of Melek, described her as "a pocket Venus
Venus (mythology)
Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
, tiny but perfectly proportioned, a pretty, lively brunette, with great charm." Tugay states in her family memoirs that "as a child [Melek] was delicate and was often sent to spend a fortnight with Neşedil Kadinefendi [wife of Khedive Isma'il and mother of Princess Nimet] in the salubrious air of Zaaferan
Zaafarana palace
The palace is located in Cairo, Egypt. Near Abbasyia district at Khalifa Maamon Road.Now it is inside the main campus of the Ain Shams University.- History :It was one of the royal palaces before becoming the administration building of Ain Shams University....
."
Melek's father Hasan Pasha was a captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
in the Ottoman Navy
Ottoman Navy
The Ottoman Navy was established in the early 14th century. During its long existence it was involved in many conflicts; refer to list of Ottoman sieges and landings and list of Admirals in the Ottoman Empire for a brief chronology.- Pre-Ottoman:...
. When Melek was still an infant
Infant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
, he offered her for adoption in order to improve her lot in life. Melek was adopted by Djechme Affet, the third wife of Khedive
Khedive
The term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, and vassal of the Ottoman Empire...
Isma'il Pasha
Isma'il Pasha
Isma'il Pasha , known as Ismail the Magnificent , was the Khedive of Egypt and Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the behest of the United Kingdom...
of Egypt. In 1887, she married Hussein Kamel, the khedive's favorite son. She bore him three daughters: Kadria, Samiha and Badiha. Hussein Kamel was not expected to ascend the throne when Melek married him. When his eldest brother Khedive Tewfik
Tewfik Pasha
HH Muhammed Tewfik Pasha ' was Khedive of Egypt and Sudan between 1879 and 1892, and the sixth ruler from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty.-Early life:...
died in 1892, he was succeeded by his son Abbas Hilmi II
Abbas II of Egypt
HH Abbas II Hilmi Bey was the last Khedive of Egypt and Sudan .-Early life:...
, who fathered two sons of his own during his reign. However, events took an unexpected turn with the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which was occupying Egypt at the time, deposed Abbas and installed his uncle Hussein Kamel as Egypt's new ruler. Hussein Kamel was given the title of Sultan of Egypt
Sultan of Egypt
Sultan of Egypt was the status held by the rulers of Egypt after the establishment of the Ayyubid Dynasty of Saladin in 1174 until the Ottoman conquest of Egypt in 1517. Though the extent of the Egyptian Sultanate ebbed and flowed, it generally included Sham and Hejaz, with the consequence that the...
by the British in order to emphasize the end of Egypt's status as a vassal of the Ottoman Sultan. As a result, Melek received the title of Sultana
Sultana (title)
The term Sultana is an Islamic title reserved for a few Muslim women rulers in history. It is sometimes mistaken for the title of the chief wife of a Sultan.-Overview:The most famous Sultana was Razia Sultana of India....
. Hussein Kamel invented for himself and his wife the style
Style (manner of address)
A style of office, or honorific, is a legal, official, or recognized title. A style, by tradition or law, precedes a reference to a person who holds a post or political office, and is sometimes used to refer to the office itself. An honorific can also be awarded to an individual in a personal...
of Hautesse , which can be translated into English as Gloriness.
Hussein Kamel was a family man who treated Melek with respect and devotion. During his reign, Melek kept a low profile. In keeping with the other royal consorts who preceded her, she attended performances at the Khedivial Opera House
Khedivial Opera House
The Khedivial Opera House or Royal Opera House was the original opera house in Cairo, Egypt. It was dedicated on November 1, 1869 and burned down on October 28, 1971....
, although she was seated in a box
Box (theatre)
In theater, a box is a small, separated seating area in the auditorium for a limited number of people.Boxes are typically placed immediately to the front, side and above the level of the stage. They are often separate rooms with an open viewing area which typically seat five people or fewer. ...
separated from the rest of the audience by a Mashrabiya
Mashrabiya
Mashrabiya or Shanasheel is the Arabic term given to a type of projecting oriel window enclosed with carved wood latticework located on the second storey of a building or higher, often lined with stained glass. The mashrabiy is an element of traditional Arabic architecture used since the middle...
. When Hussein Kamel died in 1917, his only surviving son Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein
Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein
Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein was the son of Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt.-Renunciation of succession rights:...
(born of a previous marriage) renounced his succession rights, and so the throne went to Hussein Kamel's brother Fuad
Fuad I of Egypt
Fuad I was the Sultan and later King of Egypt and Sudan, Sovereign of Nubia, Kordofan, and Darfur. The ninth ruler of Egypt and Sudan from the Muhammad Ali Dynasty, he became Sultan of Egypt and Sudan in 1917, succeeding his elder brother Sultan Hussein Kamel...
. On 11 October 1917, only two days after his ascension to the throne, Fuad issued a rescript
Rescript
A rescript is a document that is issued not on the initiative of the author, but in response to a specific demand made by its addressee...
allowing Melek to keep her sultanic title. When a formal order of precedence
Order of precedence
An order of precedence is a sequential hierarchy of nominal importance of items. Most often it is used in the context of people by many organizations and governments...
was established for the Kingdom of Egypt
Kingdom of Egypt
The Kingdom of Egypt was the first modern Egyptian state, lasting from 1922 to 1953. The Kingdom was created in 1922 when the British government unilaterally ended its protectorate over Egypt, in place since 1914. Sultan Fuad I became the first king of the new state...
in 1932, he issued another rescript whereby Melek was placed second only to Queen Nazli
Nazli Sabri
Nazli Sabri , was the Queen consort of Egypt, as the second wife of King Fuad.-Early life:...
in the order of precedence, and before all the other princesses of the Royal Family
Muhammad Ali Dynasty
The Muhammad Ali Dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Egypt and Sudan, from the 19th to the mid-20th Century. It is named after its progenitor, Muhammad Ali Pasha, regarded as the founder of modern Egypt. It was also more formally known as the Alawiyya Dynasty...
.By then, Melek was considered the Sultana, while Nazli was considered the Queen. As a widow, Melek was no longer secluded but was visible at official occasions and photographs, such at the wedding between King Farouk in 1938. In 1923, along with Crown Prince Leopold
Leopold III of Belgium
Leopold III reigned as King of the Belgians from 1934 until 1951, when he abdicated in favour of the Heir Apparent,...
and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Melek visited the newly discovered tomb
KV62
KV62 is the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings , which became famous for the wealth of treasure it contained. The tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter, underneath the remains of workmen's huts built during the Ramesside Period; this explains why it was spared from the worst of...
of Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun
Tutankhamun , Egyptian , ; approx. 1341 BC – 1323 BC) was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty , during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom...
in Luxor
Luxor
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple...
. The Western press of the time often referred to her as the Dowager
Dowager
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
Sultana, a title that carried no legal standing in Egypt.
Melek never remarried and spent her four decades of widowhood travelling with her slaves to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and Luxor
Luxor
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. The population numbers 487,896 , with an area of approximately . As the site of the Ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterized as the "world's greatest open air museum", as the ruins of the temple...
.Her title stayed as Sultana even after the coronation of King Farouk I. Her principal residence was her palace in the Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
suburb of Heliopolis
Heliopolis (Cairo Suburb)
Modern Heliopolis is a district in Cairo, Egypt. The city was established in 1905 by the Heliopolis Oasis Company, headed by the Belgian industrialist Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Empain, as well as Boghos Nubar, son of the Egyptian Prime Minister Nubar Pasha.-History:The Baron Empain, a well known...
, opposite the famous Villa Baron Empain
Baron Empain
Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Empain was a wealthy Belgian engineer, entrepreneur, financier and industrialist, as well as an amateur Egyptologist.-Early life:...
. Historian Samir Raafat describes the widowed Melek as an "aging Sultana [who] held an outdated a-la-Turca court
Ottoman court
Ottoman court or the culture that evolved around the court of the Ottoman Empire was known as the "Ottoman Way". To get a high position in the empire, one must be skilled in the Way. It included both knowing Persian, Arabic and Ottoman Turkish and how to behave in court, in front of the sultan, and...
in her zany Heliopolis palace." Melek died in Cairo on 4 February 1956, having witnessed the 1952 Revolution and the ensuing abolition of the monarchy.