Mohamed Bey Lazoughly Square

Mohamed Bey Lazoughly Square

Overview:

• In the middle of the square (Square of Muhammad Bey Lazoghly, Deputy Muhammad Ali Pasha in Noubar Street), a tall statue known on the popular and official level as the statue of the deputy governor of Egypt, Muhammad Bey Lazoghly, while in reality it is a statue of one of the most simple and common people. Although the Egyptian government at that time wanted to establish it in this place in order to preserve the memory of Lazoghly, it is only related to him by the likeness.

• The Khedive of Egypt entrusted the governor of Cairo, Ahmed Pasha Al-Durra in 1869 AD with the task of finding a picture of Muhammad Bey Lazoghly to make a statue of him, so the governor fell into severe trouble because he did not find this picture. While searching for a way out of this dilemma that may lead to lose his position, he found, by chance, while wandering around Khan al-Khalili neighbourhood, a waterman that closely resembles Muhammad Bey Lazoghly, so he immediately ordered him to come to the governorate building. So, the waterman came and shuddered, considering that he would be punished for an offense that he did not commit as usual, but he found himself in front of the suit of the deputy governor, Lazoghly, his sword and turban. The governor dressed it for him by his hands, and ordered the province photographer to take a picture for him and then sent it to the Khedive as a picture of Lazoghly and actually made the statue in its exact shape, and it was erected in its current location in the middle of Noubar Street.

Resources:

• “Al Qahira Shawarea w Hekayat” by Hamdi Abu Khalil, p. 160