Bosnian traveller Mohammad Hancic in Egypt during Ottoman Empire

Abstract

Some Bosnian Muslims known as Boshniaks travelled to Arabian countries and were affected by Islamic civilization. One of them is Muhammad Hancic, a well-known writer and traveller in Bosnia and I. Boshniaks in Egypt during the Ottoman AgeThe researchers are of the view that the first contacts between Arabs and Slavs occurred in North Africa, primarily Egypt and also through Andalusia. The Slavs figured prominently in the structure of Ottoman authorities and organs of government. It reached such an extent that some authors wrote numerous commendations honouring the Slavs, meaning Saqalibs, which was the name Arabs used when referring to Slavs. To be fair, the Arabs used this term to refer to Slavs, Gauls and Romans-the European peoples mostly. Historical sources dating from the Ottoman Age abound with names of Boshniaks who attained vizierial or some even higher dignitary position, indicating here were many Boshniaks amongst distinguished scholars and learned men.Čoban Mustafa Pasha [1] was one of the first Boshniaks who reached Egypt in 1521, four years following the Ottoman conquest of Egypt. He was a stout-hearted, brave and just man who later became the governor of Rumelia and eventually assumed vizierial position, functioning as muhafiz (i.e., governor) in Egypt and later, being urged by his wife, he returned to Diwan. He died in 1528 and was buried in Gebze, in front of the mosque, his pious endowment.Muhammad Hancic was born in Sarajevo, in 1906. He graduated from primary school and madrasah in his native town. Following his completion of schooling in madrasah in 1926, he went to Egypt and enrolled alAzhar University. He obtained a university degree in 1931. Following his graduation he performed hajj and then returned to his homeland.In 1932, after completing military service, he began a career in the fields of culture and education in the most important Boshniak educational and cultural institutions of the period -Gazi Khusrow Bey's Madrasah and Gazi Khusrow Bey's Library and later at the Bey's Madrasah as a lecturer. He also established cooperation with a number of magazines such as al-Hidayah, Novi Behar and the Islamic Community Gazette, and for several years he was an editor for al-Hidayah. He was a prolific translator and translated many books from Arabic to Bosnian. He also translated to Arabic many of his own texts written in Bosnian. II. Egypt in Early 20 th Century in the Eyes of Bosnian TravellerMuhammad Hancic demonstrated a particular affection towards the Islamic world, in other words, Arabic countries. This is borne out by the fact that he transcribed the literary works of Abdurrahim ibn bu Bakr ibn Ibrahim Iraqi, and Mahajjah al-Qurb min Muhabbah al-Arab. He brought this book from Egypt. The book was published in Cairo in 1346, and before that in Bombay in 1303 Hijrah era. The book was logged in the catalogue of Gazi Khusrow Bey's Library under the number R-662. Another book is also logged in this catalogue under the title: Kitab Yasfu fihi Rihlati ila Misr, written by Muhammad Ha...