87 Original Article NEW 19TH CENTURY DEFENSIVE
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Egyptian Journal of Archaeological and Restoration Studies An international peer-reviewed journal published bi-annually www.ejars.sohag-univ.edu.eg Original article NEW 19TH CENTURY DEFENSIVE ARCHITECTURAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN EGYPT: THE BASTION SYSTEM (HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS) Abdelwahab. M. Islamic Archaeology dept, Faculty of Archaeology, Fayoum Univ., Fayoum, Egypt E-mail address: [email protected] Article info. EJARS – Vol. 11 (1) – June. 2021: 87-100 Article history: Abstract: Received: 1-9-2020 Impressive fortification and renovation work was carried out in Egypt Accepted: 15-6-2021 in Mehmet 'Ali's reign (1805- 1848); the pasha rebuilt the old forti- Doi: 10.21608/ejars.2021.179499 fications, and erected new forts according to the new developments of weapons and defensive systems. So, he recruited the European scientific and military cadres to seeking their services. Therefore, the military architecture of his reign was distinguished with the European influences from Turkey, Italy, France and Albania. In other words, many new and uncommon architectural elements have imported to th the Egyptian military architecture in the first of 19 century. The innovation introduced into military architecture by Mehmet 'Ali is the regular designs of the external and internal lines of the buildings, and the types of the towers to be compatible with attack and defensive weapons. This new type of military architecture was called the bastion system. The article's primary purpose is th discussing: the universal features of military fortifications of 19 century in Egypt by tracing the European influences and follows the origins of the fortification designs of Mehmet' Ali which so-called the bastion system. These fortifications carried out some relations on structure, designs, plans, and elements belonged to the prototypes of the European styles, like the Venetian, Ottoman and Frankish styles which transformed directly and indirectly by Mehmet 'Alito Egypt in the beginning of the 19th century. The study willed fine the types of the most important military architectural designs dating back Keywords: to the nineteenth century in Egypt and tracing its origins in Europe. Bastion system Also will enumerate the channels which imported this new technology and architectural features to Egypt and investigating the factors Fortification which had been arrived from deferent European sources, such as Mehmet' Ali the raise and the personal vision of Mehmet 'Ali, the educational Military architecture missions to European countries, the European scientific and military cadres and the field experiences of the Pasha in the deferent Defensive system countries of Ottoman Empire. 1. Introduction The literature sources and the archaeological with the most important architectural works remains alike contain a real wealth of inf- and the history of Mehmet 'Ali. As well ormation on the military architecture of as the history of Al-Jabarti [2] who cared Mehmet 'Ali and many academic studies about listing some architectural details in have been focus on his fortifications in this reign. Also, the orientalists were inte- Egypt. For the authors of two publications rested with the architectural development on the subject in Arabic, Al-Rajabi wrote in Egypt, such as the example of Wiet [3], a monograph with photographs investig- Mantel [4]. Furthermore, there are many ated in 1997 [1]. His purpose was deals Arabic studies on the subject: like Mahfouz, 78 who focused on military buildings in Cairo cture of the Ottoman army in the reign of [5] such as Al-Muqattam and Salah al- Sultan Selim III (1789-1807)(a). Although Din castles in the reign of Mehmet 'Ali the composition of the army set by Sulei- as the military architecture in northern man Pasha the French commander was very Egypt, Darwish [6] addressed the forts and practical and Ibrahim Pasha was convinced castles in the city of Rosseta, in which he of its implementation, Mehmet 'Ali preferred (b) focused on the most important architectural the model of the Ottoman army [5], the elements developed in the era of Mehmet Pasha explained to his leaders and his son; 'Ali. The study of the 19th fortifications "it is similar to the one Napoleon had used in Egypt constitutes a part of the broader to lead an army composed of several topic of the European fortifications and thousand troops. Our army however, is a defensive system. The majority of the cur- new and much smaller one and we have rent studies dealing particularly with the only recently begun to create it" [10]. The Egyptian military in Mamluk and Ottoman classical style of Mamluk and Ottoman periods, without focusing on the archite- military architecture were domain Egypt till ctural development of using the bastions the beginning of 19th with some renovations as a direct response to the requirements of and new architectural designs from the weapon technology. The previous studies Western Europe to the Ottoman military did not dedicate a comprehensive study architecture, were imported to Egyptian fort- to many of the architectural elements ification system [12]. In a few decades, imported from the Europe to Egypt in Mehmet 'Ali created a formidable network the reign of Mehmet 'Ali, which came of fortifications, the new and the old fortr- within the organized trend of Mehmet 'Ali esses in Cairo and Alexandrea formed the to modernize the defensive and offensive corner stone and the back bone of his systems of the modern Egyptian army. defense lines; these were renovated and This paper focuses on one of the most some of strongholds were built additionally. important elements coming to Egypt as a The Egyptian defensive system before harmonization of technological advances 19th century was composed of; the gates, by using modern artillery. The reign of towers and some defensive palisades by Mehmet 'Ali Pasha [7-9] started in 1805 definition are parts of enceintes or enc- as Wâli after he was appointed by the losure. But after that the historians of the Sultan of Ottomans and ended in 1848. Western military refers to the fortification In few decades the Pasha had taken consist of defensive palisades, ramparts, different radical measures to change the walls as curtains which were fronted by position of his province within the Empire moats or ditches [13]. The curtains act as in all fields; economic, social, culture, extensions of the shield and protecting the education and military force. He aims to defenders against the weapons of them att- make Egypt controller of the traditional ackers [14]. The very important part of borders of Egypt includes Sudan, Greece these fortifications is the external projections (c) (Crete-Morea), Anatolia, Hijas, Syria [10]. of a barrier and star forts [15] with the The new ruler has succeeded in exploiting bastions; it is large enough to hold large Egyptian capabilities and managing state number of defenders and weapons. Their resources in order to achieve a goal in purpose as mentioned; is to inflict flanking building a strong state ruled by him and fire on any attackers closely approaching his elite [11]. While the pasha planned his the curtains and adjacent bastions [13,16], new military forces, the Imperial army of fig. (1). Very quickly with the development Ottoman model was not far from his mind. of firearms and fortifications, bastions For soon after commanding Suleiman pasha style which its function was to direct fire (Seves) [5,8] and Mohamed Lazuglo to against enemies [16] became obsolete and continue their mission, Mehmet 'Ali ordered had to be rebuilt [17] and it can be said his son Ibrahim to adopt the official stru- that; these military principles and requir- 88 ements were very clear in the mind of and two faces protecting adjacent bastions Mehmet 'Ali, the founder of the modern and the curtain walls to inflict flanking Egyptian army. So, the primary goal is fire on the enemies [20]. revealing the architectural origins of the 1.2. The architectural origins of the bastion and it characteristics, which came bastion from Europe to the military architecture The processes of state formation and con- in Egypt during the French campaign current changes in warfare, mostly the against Egypt (1798-1011) [6] and became requirements to development of the new the distinctive architectural component system of fortifications, greatly increased of the military architecture in the era of needs for architects to devise an adequate the Mehmet 'Ali since 1805. fortifications and military architecture response to the technology of heavy artillery [21]. So, architects should promote and develop some novel designs that could withstand the new technology; these fortresses are so called trace italienne(d) [18-22], which have many bastions in the corners. The literature sources refers that there are two theories about the Figure (1) Shows the bastion system which achieved a origins of bastion design: perfect side protection and coverage to 1.2.1. The first theory the blind angles and allows the defense of curtain walls (after, Ioanas, 2018) Some authors [23] believe that it was th seen for the first time in mid-15 cen- 1.1. The definition of bastion tury. During the 2nd half of the 15th and Fortifications have been a part of the beginning of 16th centuries. The bastion defense of cities and towns for millennia. fortifications were developed primarily by By the time, it became increasingly effective Italian architects [21] against the French to meet the different threats and the develo- conquest of Italian lands with new artillery pments of weapons which proved that the (1494-1559). This Italian style is an accurate older fortifications comparatively became translation of designs of Francesco di useless [18]. The new technology of the Giorgio Martini (1439-1501)(e) [23] who firearms not only affected the fundamentals in his treatise; civil and military architecture of warfare but also triggered a revision (Architetturacivile e militare), supported of the regulations of medieval military an idea based on the widespread possession architecture [19].