Muallem Rizk (Rizk Agha)

• He was one of the prominent Coptic personalities of the 18th century.

• He had knowledge in ecclesiology, mathematics and astronomy.

• Ali-Bey Al-Kabir, the ruler at that time depended on him and appointed him as his vizier (minister).

• He was the source of great comfort to the Copts

• In spite of his loyalty to the ruler, he was assassinated by Abu Al-Dahab and his body was kept hanging at Zewela’s gate for two days and nobody dared to bring him down for burial.

• When Bruce, an English traveler, visited Egypt on his way to Ethiopia in 1768, the Port authorities thought that what he was carrying of astronomical and geographical instruments were military equipments, thus they confiscated them. However, Muallem Rizk released the materials and learnt how to use them. The traveler tried to reward the vizier but he refused his gifts. Moreover the vizier honored the traveler as his own guest.

Notes

1 AS Atiya, ed., The Coptic Encyclopedia , vol. 7, Macmillan, 1991, New York, pp. 2100-2102; S Khalil, ed. Misbah al-Aql ( The Lamp of Intellect ), (Arabic) Cairo, 1978.

2 Atiya, op. cit., vol. 2, pp. 423-424.

3 Atiya, op. cit., vol. 7, pp. 2075–2079.

4 Atiya, op. cit., vol 4, p. 1267.

5 Atiya, op. cit., vol 7, pp. 2360-2361.

A PPENDIX O NE

Table of Heresies