Born: 1840, Egypt
Died: 1902
Country most active: Egypt
Also known as: Ayesha al-Taymuriyya, عائشة عصمت تيمور, ‘A’isha al-Taymuriyya عائشة التيمورية
The following is excerpted from “400 Outstanding Women of the World and the Costumology of Their Time” by Minna Moscherosch Schmidt, published in 1933.
Ayesha al-Taymuriyya came of an illustrious Kurdish- Arabic family, which since the time of Mohammed has played an important part in Egyptian history, both politically and culturally. Her brother Ahmed Taymur Pasha, who died in 1930, was said to be one of the most learned men in modern Egypt. His private library was internationally famous. His older son was a pioneer in Arabic literature of the “new school.” The younger son, Mahmud Taymur, is one of the outstanding authors of modern Egypt.
Ayesha, the sister and aunt of this gifted trio, holds a particularly prominent place in the history of Egyptian women because she displayed great intellectual attainments at a time when Egyptian women were apparently not much interested in cultural matters. She was moreover one of the leaders in the Egyptian “Woman Movement.” She urged the Egyptians to educate their daughters, claiming that only in this way could the family standards be raised. Having advanced these ideas and actually published them more than forty years ago, Ayesha al-Taymuriyya was, of course, a pioneer in the work. The abilities of this talented Egyptian are better understood when we realize that she wrote both prose and poetry in Arabic, Turkish, and Persian. Her writings are today a precious heritage and an example to the women of her country.