The Sherif was the only Muslim ruler to reply to Bonaparte’s letters, being acutely aware of the potential economic and political consequences of his invasion, particularly following the Battle of Aboukir and the English blockade, but in this letter, printed in Cairo (and perhaps publicly displayed) deals with the Hajj and assures pilgrims that they will be protected from marauders.
Rare example of printed letter
Sold at Sotheby’s, London sale (October 12-13) for £6500 was a rare example of a printed version of one of the letters exchanged by Napoleon and the Sherif of Mekkah, Ghalib ibn Musa’id, at the time of the French invasion of Egypt in 1798-99.
