Ayn al-Hayat Ahmad (; ; 5 October 1858 – 12 August 1910; meaning "Spring of life") was an Egyptian princess and a member of the

Muhammad Ali dynasty The Muhammad Ali dynasty or the Alawiyya dynasty was the ruling dynasty of Egypt and Sudan from the 19th to the mid-20th century. It is named after its progenitor, the Albanians, Albanian Muhammad Ali of Egypt, Muhammad Ali, regarded as the fou ...

. She was the first wife of Sultan

Hussein Kamel of Egypt Hussein Kamel (; 21 November 1853 – 9 October 1917) was the Sultan of Egypt from 19 December 1914 to 9 October 1917, during the United Kingdom, British protectorate over Egypt. He was the first person to hold the title of Sultan of Egypt si ...

Early life

Princess Ayn-al-Hayat was born on 5 October 1858, and was the only daughter of Prince

Ahmad Rifaat Pasha Ahmad Rifaat Pasha (8 December 1825 – 15 May 1858) was a member of the Muhammad Ali dynasty of Egypt. He was the son of Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt, and his consort Shivakiar Qadin. Death He was heir presumptive to Sa'id Pasha. However, in 1858, ...

(1825 — 1858) and his consort Dilbar Jihan Qadin (died 1900). She had two elder half-brothers, Prince Ibrahim Fahmi Pasha (1847 — 1893) and Prince Ahmad Kamal Pasha (1857 — 1907). Prince Ahmad Kamal was a man greatly esteemed for his love of justice and the austerity of his life. Ayn al-Hayat, was still a child when her father met his tragic end. Dark, petite, and vivacious, she had great charm. Her uncle, the

Khedive Ismail Isma'il Pasha ( ; 25 November 1830 or 31 December 1830 – 2 March 1895), also known as Ismail the Magnificent, was the Khedive of Khedivate of Egypt, Egypt and ruler of Turco-Egyptian Sudan, Sudan from 1863 to 1879, when he was removed at the ...

, was very fond of her and took a personal interest in her education.

Marriage

In order to introduce Ayn al- Hayat to study Isma'il used to say: "If you really try to learn your lessons and all your teachers are satisfied, I shall marry you to my son Hussein." Ayn al-Hayat, as a child was so delighted with the idea that once when she was twelve she ran out to meet her uncle, who had come to see her, saying: "Today all my teachers are pleased. Now may I marry Hussein Agha bey?" The marriage took place in 1873. Prince Hussein was devoted to his wife, who at first appeared to be happy. The two together had four children of whom only two survived, a son,

Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein Prince Kamal el Dine Hussein () (20 December 1874 – 6 August 1932) was the son of Sultan of Egypt, Sultan Hussein Kamel of Egypt, Hussein Kamel of Egypt. Renunciation of succession rights Several otherwise reliable sources mistakenly assert tha ...

, born on 20 December 1874, and a daughter, Princess Kazima Hanim, born on 16 July 1876. While the youngest two children, a daughter, Princess Kamila Hanim, and a son, Prince Ahmed Kazim died young. Then quite suddenly she insisted on a divorce and obtained her freedom. Princess Ayn-al-Hayat never remarried.

Organization

She is remembered as a founder and first president of the Muhammad Ali Benevolent Society in 1909. The members of its community were all women, something till then unheard of in the annals of the Middle East. Medical and financial advisers were the only men consulted. The society began by opening a dispensary for women and children in the populous quarter behind the

Abdeen Palace Abdeen District is the home of Abdeen Palace (), a 19th-century Cairo palace built by Khedive Ismail and served as the Egyptian royal household's primary official residence from 1874 until the July Revolution in 1952. Since then it has been one ...

. The funds were chiefly supplied from the Princess's own resources and by donations from the Khedival family, as it then existed. According to the rules of the society, the president was always to be a princess of the ruling family.

Death and aftermath

Princess Ayn al-Hayat died on 12 August 1910 at

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

and was buried in the mausoleum of Hosh al-Basha, Imam al-Shafi'i,

Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...

. After her death, Princess Nazli Halim became the president of Muhammad Ali Benevolent Society. She was followed by

Princess Fawzia Fawzia of Egypt (; 5 November 1921 – 2 July 2013), also known as Fawzia Pahlavi or Fawzia Chirine, was an Egyptian princess who became Queen of Iran as the first wife of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran. Fawzia was the daughter of Fuad I, ...

, who was the president of the organization to come from the royal house.

Issue

Together with Hussein Kamil, Ayn al-Hayat had four children: *

(

, 20 December 1874 –

Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...

, 6 August 1932 and buried in a mausoleum in the Muqattam Hills), married and had issue; *Princess Kazima Hanim (16 July 1876 –

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, 29 January 1921 and buried in ar-Rifai Mosque,

), unmarried and without issue; *Princess Kamila Hanim (died young); *Prince Ahmed Kazim (died young);

Ancestry

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rifaat, Ayn-al-Hayat 1858 births 1910 deaths Egyptian Muslims Muhammad Ali dynasty princesses People from the Khedivate of Egypt