Conquered by Sultan Selim I in 1516, Egypt in the early nine- teenth century was a country steeped in the traditions of the Ottoman Empire, with a ruling class of Ottoman governors, officials, and descen- dants—an Ottoman-Egyptian elite. Although many of these elite had been born in Egypt, they were often most comfortable speaking and writing in Turkish.

Eve M. Troutt Powell, A Different Shade of Coloni…, loc. 63