The story of the famous Albanian general and his place in French historiography and art

The researcher Auron Tare has commemorated the well-known Albanian general and personality Said Mustafa Pasha Arnauti and his place in the history of French art.

Tare mentions the two great works of art dedicated to him and gives a description of his work.

Tare writes that General Said Mustafa Pasha was the commander of the Ottoman troops in Egypt, where he came as a veteran of the Russo-Turkish wars.

Në përballjen e tij me trupat franceze të udhëhequra nga Napoleoni në vitin 1799 ai tregoi trimëri e aftësi të pashoqe duke zbythur trupat sulmuese deri në plagosjen e tij në përballjen me gjeneralin kundërshtar, ku u plagosën të dy.

Pas përfundimit të luftës, gjenerali shqiptar Said Mustafa Pasha u mor në Paris nga Gjenerali francez Murati ndërsa në nderim të trimërisë së tij atij i janë kushtuar sot një statujë në Harkun e Triumfit dhe një pikturë.

“Gjeneral Said Mustafa Pasha Arnauti dhe arti francez.

Si rralle ndonje here nje personaliteti shqiptar, arti dhe historiografia franceze i kane kushtuar aq vemendje sa Gjeneralit Said Mustafa Pasha. Dy vepra madheshtore te artit francez kane si protagonist, Gjeneralin Arnaut.

Piktura nga Baron Antoine Jean Gros. Gjeneral Murati dhe Komandanti i Trupave Otomane Said Mustafa Pasha. Vendodhja Pallati i Versajes

Said Mustafa was a veteran of the Russian-Turkish wars. He came to the command of the Ottoman troops in Egypt, which, supported by the British fleet, were trying to prevent the advance of the Frankish troops led by a young general named Napoleon in 1799. Said Pasha, with energetic actions, lined up his army on the shores of Abukirk. breaking the French who fled in panic. Fortunately for Napoleon, the victory of General Said Mustafa was not used by him in the pursuit of the broken French troops, which gave Napoleon time to regroup and attack the defensive line of the Ottoman army. Said Mustafa with his Albanian wards kept the French stuck in a wild battle on the Egyptian sandy beaches.

Painting by Baron Antoine Jean Gros. General Murati and Commander of the Ottoman Troops Said Mustafa Pasha. Location Palace of Versailles

According to the English witnesses who followed the battle, the French were showing signs of withdrawal when General Murat, with a quick action followed by his cavalry, was able to break the first line of defenders, reaching Said Mustafa's command post. General Arnaut shot Murat in the jaw and was wounded in the hand by Murat's sword. The two generals drowned in blood were found by the French troops who retreated and treated them both. Based on the battle report, Napoleon ordered that General Arnaut be treated and honored for his bravery in Abukirt.

Upon his return to Paris and his triumphal march, Napoleon brought with him Said Mustafa Pashen, who, in memory of the Battle of Abukirk, is today commemorated by his statue in the Arc de Triomphe in front of General Murat, the future King of Naples. The glory of Said Mustafa Pasha in Egypt was dimmed over the years only by the bright figure of his grandson named Mehmel Ali Pasha Kavalliu, founder of Modern Egypt and Emperor of Sudan.

Painting by Baron Antoine Jean Gros. General Murati and Commander of the Ottoman Troops Said Mustafa Pasha. Location Palace of Versailles

Frieze from the Arc de Triomphe Paris. The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile in Paris, seen from the Champs-Élysées. battle of Aboukir July 25, 1799 by Bernard Seure ." - writes Tare.

Friza nga Harku i Triumfit Paris. The Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile in Paris, seen from the Champs-Élysées. battle of Aboukir 25 jul 1799 by Bernard Seure.”

Piktura nga Baron Antoine Jean Gros. Gjeneral Murati dhe Komandanti i Trupave Otomane Said Mustafa Pasha. Vendodhja Pallati i Versajes

Piktura nga Baron Antoine Jean Gros. Gjeneral Murati dhe Komandanti i Trupave Otomane Said Mustafa Pasha. Vendodhja Pallati i Versajes