Ever heard about a tree named after Mohamed Ali Pasha’s beard? It’s in Port Said

CAIRO – 10 August 2022: You might know about Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt and the Sudan, the Albanian Ottoman governor who ruled Egypt from 1805 to 1848.

But you might not have heard about a tree located in Port Said city, northeast Egypt, that is named after Mohamed Ali’s famous long beard.

 

Originally named Ficus tree, Egyptians were the first to call the tree “The Pasha’s beard,” because it resembled the long beard of Mohamed Ali Pasha.

Existed for 118 years, meaning that it was there since the establishment of the Abbasid Mosque during the reign of Egypt’s Khedive Abbas Helmy II, in 12322 A.H. 1904 A.D.

Engineer Kamel Taweej, former Undersecretary of the Port Said Ministry of Agriculture, said that the tree is characterized as a perennial and a long tree to the extent that its length may reach 30 meters, and its flowers are spherical, white-yellowish in color, and have a distinctive smell.

 

The color turns brown after a while, and the length of one of these horns sometimes reaches 30 cm. The “Pasha’s Beard” tree can withstand high temperatures, while it does not tolerate frost at all, and therefore it is not often planted in low-temperature countries.

The tree is used for shading and decoration. It is used for farm fences and to decorate parks and streets, in front of houses. It is planted in school gardens, mosques, and public places. Its roots are sedge and do not harm homes, walls, and drainage pipes. It is grown in large farms, and its wood can be used to make furniture, household utensils, or sculptures.

 

The tree is grown close to livestock farms, such as cows, sheep, etc., as it is considered a good fodder, and its paper is rich in protein and beneficial minerals for them.

Engineer Kamel Taweej also explained that the tree has multiple medicinal uses since ancient times, and contributes to the treatment of allergic rhinitis that affect the mucous membranes lining the nose.