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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 June 2010
This article describes in detail the beginning of aviation in Egypt, with special reference to the Great Week of Aviation at Heliopolis in 1910, and the effect of this new technology on Egyptians. With the exception of a few flights in North Africa made by French pilots in late 1909, it also describes the first flights in the Arab world. Based primarily on contemporary Egyptian Arabic newspapers, it recounts how a group of colonial entrepreneurs sponsored a great aviation meeting at Heliopolis in order to promote their development of the ‘Oasis of Heliopolis’, or ‘Ayn Shams/Misr al-Jadida, as a new suburb of Cairo. The article focuses on the concept for the meeting, the first flights in Egypt before the meeting, the promotion of the meeting, and the international competitors and their performances. It then summarises the consequences of the meeting for aviation in general, aviation in Egypt – including the reaction of Egyptians to aviation – and the development of Heliopolis.
1 Baedeker, Karl, Egypt (Leipzig, 1902), pp. 107–108Google Scholar.
2 See Toussaint, Yvon, Les barons Empain (Paris, 1996), pp. 109–139Google Scholar.
3 The word khedive derived from the Persian word khidīw or khadīw meaning ‘lord, prince, ruler’. This title had been used by members of the ruling dynasty of Egypt since the late nineteenth century to distinguish them from other rulers who were, at least in theory, subject to the Ottoman sultan. After the British seized control of Egypt in 1882, a British Agent and Consul-General controlled the khedive's independence of action. The British garrisoned Egypt with about 5,000 troops and commanded its army and police. They also controlled Egypt's administration, finances, communications, and foreign policy. See Daly, M. W., ‘The British occupation, 1882–1922’, in The Cambridge History of Egypt, ed. Daly, M. W. (Cambridge, 1998), ii, pp. 239–251CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Vatikiotis, The Modern History of Egypt, pp. 176–181, 191, 200; Charles-Roux, F., ‘l'Égypte de l'occupation anglaise a l'indépendence égyptienne’, in Histoire de la nation égyptienne, ed. Hanotaux, Gabriel (Paris, 1940), vii, pp. 3–335Google Scholar. For the period in question, see in particular Mellini, Peter, Sir Eldon Gorst: the Overshadowed Proconsul (Stanford, 1977)Google Scholar. None of these works mentions Heliopolis.
4 Ilbert, Robert, Héliopolis: Le Caire 1905–1922, genèse d'une ville (Paris, 1981), pp. 13–15Google Scholar. The Oasis of Heliopolis was soon on the map. It appears, for example, in Baedeker, Karl, The Mediterranean (Leipzig, 1911)Google Scholar, on the map of the environs of Cairo. On the same map in Baedeker's Egypt of 1902, there is only blank space for this location.
5 Ilbert, Héliopolis, p. 19. Oakes was responsible for laying out the new suburb.
6 Up to that time the Heliopolis Oasis Company had gone so far as to establish a shipping line, the Egyptian Mail Steamship Company, between Marseille and Alexandria in order to promote this development. Many notable personalities and journalists from numerous countries were invited to sail on the first ship from Marseille, named l'Héliopolis. Upon arrival in Alexandria, they were taken to the oasis to see the miracle rising from the desert. See ibid., p. 17.
7 See, for example, the notice in Flight, ‘Aviation in Egypt’, I (27 November 1909), p. 767; on prize money see, ibid., ‘The Cairo meeting’, p. 784; on organisation, see ibid., ‘The Cairo meeting’; on the French delegation, see ibid., and Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation in Egypt’, 26 January 1910. All participants had to obtain pilot aviator's certificates from the Aero Club de France.
8 Egyptian Gazette, ‘The Heliopolis meeting’, 1 February 1910.
9 On these popular sales promotions, see ibid., advertisement, 3 February 1910; al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week – Wonderful opportunity’, 31 January 1910, p. 6. For examples of postcards, see the website http://www.egyptedantan.com and follow the links to Le Caire, then villages et agglomérations, then Héliopolis.
10 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Bleriot's monoplane – Interesting exhibition’, 30 November 1909. See the advertisement on 3 December. On the European population of Alexandria, see Baedeker, The Mediterranean, p. 432.
11 On de Caters and his flights in Constantinople, see Leiser, Gary, ‘The dawn of aviation in the Middle East: the first flying machines over Istanbul’, Air Power History, LII (2005), pp. 31–35Google Scholar. See also that author's work of the same title in Belleten, LXIX (2005), pp. 937–1014, which includes full translations of relevant newspaper articles.
12 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation in Egypt – Arrival of Baron Caters – Trial trips to begin shortly’, 14 December 1909; ibid., ‘Aviation – Trial flights at Abbassia – Triumph of Baron de Caters’, 16 December 1909.
13 Ibid., ‘Aviation in Egypt – Arrival of Baron Caters – Trial trips to begin shortly’, 14 December 1909.
14 Ibid., ‘Aviation – Trial flights at Abbassia – Triumph of Baron De Caters’, 16 December 1909. According to al-Ahrām, he flew 4 minutes and 16.5 seconds at a height of 15 metres, ‘Flight in Egypt’, 16 December 1909.
15 On ticket sales, see al-Mu'ayyad, advertisement, 18 December 1909, p. 7; on de Caters’ flights on 18 and 19 December, see Egyptian Gazette, ‘Cairo aviation – Baron de Caters trials – Adverse conditions’, 20 December 1909; on de Caters’ lady passengers, see ibid., ‘Aviation in Egypt – Lady birds at Abbassia’, 21 December 1909; al-Jarīda, ‘Flying at ‘Abbāsiyya – Baron de Caters’, 21 December 1909, pp. 4–5. A reporter, a certain Salīm, for al-Mu'ayyad had written to de Caters asking if he could fly with him. Salīm stated that a lady also wanted to do the same, so he probably would have no luck, ‘Between earth and sky’, 18 December 1909, p. 5. A reporter for al-Jarīda stated that on the second flight the Baron took as a passenger ‘a German woman’ who was staying at one of the great hotels. She had persistently pleaded to go with him. However, once aloft, she panicked forcing him to land earlier than planned, ‘Flying at ‘Abbāsiyya – Baron de Caters’, 21 December 1909, p. 4.
16 Al-Jarīda, ‘Flying at ‘Abbāsiyya – Baron de Caters’, 21 December 1909, p. 4.
17 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation notes’, 28 January 1910. See Leiser, ‘The dawn of aviation in the Middle East’, pp. 31–35. In Turkey the selamlik was the part of the home reserved for males and was where guests were received. This word was derived from selam, meaning salutation, greeting, salute, which is what de Caters meant.
18 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation’, 23 December 1909; ibid., ‘Aviation in Egypt’, 27 January 1910.
19 ‘Aviation at Mena House’, and ‘Coming events’, 27 December 1909; ibid., ‘Aviation in Cairo’, 3 January 1910.
20 ‘Aviation – The balloon and the airplane’.
21 ‘The week of flight at the oasis of ‘Ayn Shams’, p. 5.
22 It is worth noting that, thanks to the autogenous capacity of Arabic, it did not have to borrow technical terms from other languages to describe the new technology of aviation. Indeed, in this respect Turkish borrowed its terms from Arabic!
23 ‘The week of flight – The amazing ability to fly’.
24 ‘Aviation in Egypt’, p. 1.
25 ‘In the kingdom of the air’, p. 4.
26 ‘On the week of flight – The Arabs and flight’, p. 5. See Leiser, Gary, ‘Birdmen of the Middle East: early attempts at human flight’, Aerospace Historian, XXXV (1988), p. 175Google Scholar.
27 Al-Mu'ayyad, ‘At Miṣr al-Jadīda’, 13 February 1910, p. 5.
28 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation notes’, 28 January 1910. This incident made the front page of the New York Times, ‘Latham falls 150 feet’, 28 January 1910.
29 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Flying at Cairo – Over the Pyramids – Mr. Singer's performances’, 12 January 1910.
30 Ibid., ‘Aviator falls at Heliopolis – Mr. Singer seriously injured’, 1 February 1910; ibid., ‘Aviation in Egypt – The injured aviator’, 2 February 1910.
31 Ibid., ‘Aviation in Cairo’, 6 January 1910.
32 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Heliopolis aviation week – Further details – The entries – The prize list’, 5 February 1910. On the cups, which were on display at the Shepherd's Hotel, see al-Ahrām, 5 February 1910. They were made by Parvis, a shop that specialised in ‘Arabian woodwork’ and was located next to the Shepherd's Hotel.
33 Al-Ahrām, ‘Aviation week’, 7 February 1910; al-Mu'ayyad, ‘Among the air vessels before the flying on day one’, 6 February 1910.
34 Al-Mu'ayyad, ‘Among the air vessels – Before the flying on day one’, 6 February 1910, p. 4
35 On the signal system, see Egyptian Gazette, ‘Heliopolis aviation week’, 5 February 1910; on the ambulance brigade, see al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at Heliopolis’, 27 January 1910, p. 5.
36 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation week’, 26 January 1910, p. 6. Again it is not clear if the women's section was for Muslims or non-Muslims. The term used for this section was ‘harem’. Some western writers have misinterpreted this, stating there was a special section for ‘harems’ or ‘the harem’ and implying that the Khedive brought his ‘harem’ to the event. He had no ‘harem’.
37 On food and entertainment, see ibid., ‘Aviation week’. On transportation, see ibid., ‘Heliopolis aviation week’, 5 February 1910. On ticket sales, see ibid., advertisement, 1 February 1910; al-Mu'ayyad, ‘Aviation week’, 26 January 1910, p. 6, and advertisement on p. 2.
38 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation – The Heliopolis week – Opening day’, 7 February 1910; al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at ‘Ayn Shams – First day of the week’, 7 February 1910, p. 1. The latter included photographs of Latham, Rougier, Duray, de Laroche and van Riemsdyk.
39 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation – The Heliopolis week – Opening day’, 7 February 1910, and al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at ‘Ayn Shams – First day of the week’, 7 February 1910.
40 Al-Ahrām, ‘Aviation week’, 7 February 1910; Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation – The Heliopolis week – Opening day’, 7 February 1910.
41 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation – The Heliopolis week – Opening day’, 7 February 1910; al-Mu'ayyad, ‘At Miṣr al-Jadīda – The flight festival – The first day of the week – Excellent weather – Dazzling success’, 7 February 1910, p. 4; al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at ‘Ayn Shams – First day of the week’, 7 February 1910, p. 1.
42 Al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at ‘Ayn Shams – First day of the week’, 7 February 1910, p. 1; al-Ahrām, ‘Aviation week’, 7 February 1910.
43 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation – Heliopolis week – Latham's lame duck’, 8 February 1910; al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at ‘Ayn Shams – The second day’, 8 February, pp. 1–2; al-Mu'ayyad, ‘At Miṣr al-Jadīda – The second day – Wind speed 7 to 10 – The white flag – The beginning of flying at 3:37 – Rougier is king again today – Latham fails again’, 8 February 1910, p. 5.
44 Egyptian Gazette, ‘The Aviation week – Third day spoilt by wind – Another accident’, 9 February 1910; al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at ‘Ayn Shams – The third day’, 9 February 1910, p. 1.
45 According to al-Mu'ayyad, Sands was something of a recluse. He avoided most people, including the other pilots. In fact, he even ‘hid his name from them and from the flight committee’. He erected a small tent for himself away from the sheds of the other pilots. Neither the committee nor the spectators knew anything about him, ‘At Miṣr al-Jadīda – Day five’, 12 February, p. 5. The New York Times, on 24 September 1909, had reported that Sands, ‘a wealthy young New Yorker’, was the first American to purchase a Blériot aircraft, ‘Haden Sands Buys First Bleriot Flier’.
46 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Yesterday's aviation – Splendid flights by Sands – Latham gets going’, 10 February 1910; al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at ‘Ayn Shams – Day four’, 10 February 1910, p. 1; al-Mu'ayyad, ‘At Miṣr al-Jadīda – Day four – Good flying weather – The enthusiasm of the flyers – Latham king of the sky – Metrot king of the day – Prize for distance’, 10 February 1910, p. 4; Aeronautics, ‘Events of the month’, III (March 1910), p. 31.
47 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation – A disappointing day – The Pyramids as grand stand’, 11 February 1910; al-Mu'ayyad, ‘Miṣr al-Jadīda – Day five’, 12 February 1910, p. 5; al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week – Thursday and Friday’, 12 February 1910, p. 5. Fayyūm is a large oasis west of Cairo.
48 Egyptian Gazette, ‘Aviation – A disappointing day – The Pyramids as grand stand’, 11 February 1910.
49 Ibid., ‘The Aviation week – More records beaten’, 12 February 1910; al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week – Thursday and Friday’, 12 February 1910, p. 5.
50 Al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation at ‘Ayn Shams – Day seven’, 13 February 1910, p. 6.
51 The Egyptian Gazette states that this was the only flight he made this day. It scoffs at him saying that around 2.00 pm, after a false and feeble start, he only flew about three circuits at 53 metres, ‘Aviation – The last day – Some glimpses of what might have been’, 14 February 1910.
52 Ibid.; al-Mu'ayyad, ‘Aviation week, day eight – Weather excellent – Latham has luck in flying – La Blon wins for distance – Rougier flies – Latham attempts to fly higher than Rougier – Baroness Laroche finally flies’, 14 February 1910, p. 5; al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at ‘Ayn Shams – The Baroness flew – Latham flew – The prizes for the week’, 14 February 14, p. 5. The Baroness had flown an earlier qualifying flight for the Aero Club de France, Flight, ‘Flying in Egypt’, II (19 February 1910), p. 127. On 8 March 1910, she became the first woman to receive a pilot's license.
53 Egyptian Gazette, ‘The Aviation Week – Official List of Prizes’, 15 February 1910, gives no second place for the Heliopolis Prize and says third was not awarded. This issue gives further details on the prizes. Grade is given second in al-Jarīda, ‘Aviation week at ‘Ayn Shams – The Baroness flew – Latham flew – The prizes for the week’, 14 February 1910, p. 5. The results, with some errors, were also published in Aeronautics, ‘The Heliopolis Meeting’, III (March 1910), p. 39. For example it grants prizes for 10 February, including one for the Baroness, when there was no flying! Cf. the results in Flight, ‘The Heliopolis Meeting’, II, n. 7 (12 February 1910), p. 11 and ibid., ‘Flying in Egypt’, II, n. 8 (19 February 1910), p. 127.
54 In addition to the photos in the present article, see others in the same series, ‘Chusseau Flaviens – Egypt’, George Eastman House, Still Photograph Archive, website: http://www.geh.org/ar/chus/egypt/m197501114811_ful.html
55 Shortly after the meet, the scientific digest al-Muqtaṭaf, XXXVI (1910), in a long article entitled ‘Flying in the land of Egypt’, pp. 209–216, described the basic principles of flight and the accomplishments of the pioneers in aviation and the advances in aviation technology over the previous 25 years. It also summarised the results of the meet, saying no one was injured, neither flyer nor spectator.
56 ‘The future of flight – Or, humanity and hope’, 24 February 1910, p. 1. In the same newspaper, the poet Ḥasan al-’Āyātī published a long ode to flight, ‘Description of flight’, 27 February 1910, p. 2.
57 Ibid.
58 ‘On flying’, 8 February 1910, p. 2.
59 Ibid., ‘A kingdom in the sky’, 14 February 1910, p. 2. Below this headline there is the byline ‘By the undersigned Ḥaḍrat al-Shābb al-Najīb’. It is unclear, however, who this is.
60 Ilbert, Héliopolis, p. 18.
61 For a general overview of Imperial Airways’ routes through Cairo, see for example Jackson, A.S., Imperial Airways and the First British Airlines 1919–40 (Lavenham, Suffolk, 1990)Google Scholar, ch. 4, ‘Flights to India 1921–34’, and ch. 5, ‘Cairo to the Cape, 1919–34’.
62 Ilbert, Héliopolis, p. 19.