Ahmad Zaki Pasha

Ahmad Zaki Pasha was born in Alexandria, Egypt, on 26 May 1867. He attended Cairo’s Qurabiyya and Tagheeziya Egyptian Schools, followed by the School of Administration. He became a translator for the provincial government of Ismailia, and later for the press bureau of the Interior Ministry. He also worked as an editor, teacher, and researcher for various institutions. He became the secretary-general of the Egyptian Cabinet in 1911 and served until 1921. He was a leading figure in the field of Arabic philology, and was sometimes called the “Dean of Arabism” or “Shaikh al-Orouba”. He published many books and articles on Arabic language, literature, history, and culture. He also participated in many international conferences and was a member of several scholarly societies. He was a nationalist and a pan-Arabist, and founded the Oriental League, a cultural and political organization that aimed to unite the peoples of the East. He died in Giza, Egypt, on 5 July 1934, and was buried in his own mosque. He left behind a rich legacy of scholarship and activism.