An account of the manners and customs of the modern Egyptians

Of the measures and weights used in Egypt, I am not able to give an exact account; for, after diligent search, I have not succeeded in finding any two specimens of the same denomination perfectly agreeing with each other, and generally the difference has been very considerable: but in those cases in which I have given the minimum and maximum, the former may be received as approximating very nearly to the just equivalent. The tradesmen in Egypt, from fear of the Mohtes′ib, mostly have measures and weights a little exceeding the true standards, though stamped by the government, which takes care to have such measures and weights employed in the purchases which it makes, and equal care, no doubt, to use those which are more true in selling.

Measures of Length and Land.

The “fitr” is the space measured by the extension of the thumb and first finger.

The “shibr” is the common span, measured by the extension of the thumb and little finger.

The “diráa beledee” (or “cubit of the country”—the common Egyptian cubit), which is used for measuring the linen, etc., manufactured in Egypt, is equal to 22 inches and two-thirds.

The “diráa hindázeh,” chiefly used for measuring Indian goods, is about 25 inches.

The “diráa Istamboolee” (or “cubit of Constantinople”), which is used for measuring European cloth, etc., is about 26 inches and a half.

The “feddán,” the most common measure of land, was, a few years ago, equal to about an English acre and one-tenth. It is now less than an acre. It is divided into “keeráts” (or twenty-fourth parts); and consists of 333 square “kasabahs” (or rods) and one-third. The kasabah was 24 “kabdahs;” but is now 22. The kabdah is the measure of a man’s fist with the thumb erect, or about 6 inches and a quarter.

The “malakah,” or Egyptian league, is a measure of which I have not been able to obtain any better definition than this:—That it is the distance between two villages. It is different in Upper and Lower Egypt; as was the ancient schœnus, with which it nearly corresponds. In Lower Egypt it is about an hour’s journey, or from 2½ to 3 miles: in Upper Egypt, about an hour and a half or from 3¾ miles to 4½, or even more.

Corn Measures.

The “ardebb” is equivalent, very nearly, to five English bushels.

The “weybeh” is the sixth of an ardebb.

The “ruba” is the fourth of a weybeh.

Weights.

The “kamhah” (or grain of wheat) is the 64th part of a dirhem, or fourth of a keerát; about three-quarters of an English grain.

The “habbeh” (or grain of barley) is the 48th part of a dirhem, or third of a keerát; equal to ¹²⁷୵₁₂₈ of an English grain, or in commerce fully equal to an English grain.

The “keerát” (or carat), which is 4 kamhahs, or 3 habbehs, as above mentioned, is the 24th part of a mitkál or from 2¹²³୵₁₂₈ to three English grains.

The “dirhem” (or drachm), the subdivisions of which have been mentioned above, is from 47⁶୵₈ to 48 English grains.

The “mitkál” (or the weight of a “deenár”) is a dirhem and a half;—from 71⁷୵₁₆ to 72 English grains.

The “ukeeyeh,” or “wukeeyeh” (the ounce), is 12 dirhems, or the 12th part of a ratl;—from 571½ to 576 English grains.

The “ratl” (or pound), being 144 dirhems, or 12 ukeeyehs, is from 1 lb. 2 oz. 5ã dwt. to about 1 lb. 2 oz. 8 dwt., Troy; or from 15 oz. 10 dr. 22¹୵₁₆ grains to nearly 15 oz. 13 dr., Avoirdupois.

The “ukkah,” or “wukkah,” is 400 dirhems (or 2 ratls and seven-ninths);—from 3 lb. 3 oz. 13¾ dwt. to 3 lb. 4 oz., Troy; or from 2 lb. 11 oz. 8 dr. 18¾ grains to about, or nearly, 2 lb. 12 oz., or 2 lb. and three-quarters, Avoirdupois.

The “kantár” (or hundred-weight, i.e. 100 ratls) is from 98 lb. minus 200 grains to about 98 lb. and three-quarters, Avoirdupois.

Moneys.

The pound sterling is now, and is likely to continue for some years, equivalent to 100 Egyptian piasters: it has risen, in two years, from 72 piasters; which was the rate of exchange for several preceding years.

A “faddah” is the smallest Egyptian coin. It is called, in the singular, “nuss” (a corruption of “nusf,” which signifies “half”) or “nuss faddah:” it is also called “meyyedee,” or “meiyedee” (an abbreviation of “mu-eiyadee”). These names were originally given to the half-dirhems which were coined in the reign of the Sultán El-Mu-eiyad, in the early part of the ninth century of the Flight, or of the fifteenth of our era. The Turks call it “párah.” The faddah is made of a mixture of silver and copper (its name signifies “silver”); and is the fortieth part of a piaster; consequently equivalent to six twenty-fifths, or nearly a quarter, of a farthing.

There are pieces of 5, 10, and 20 faddahs, “khamseh faddah,” “’asharah faddah,” and “’eshreen faddah” (so called for “khamset ansáf faddah,” etc.), or “kat’ah bi-khamseh,” “kat’ah bi-’asharah,” and “kat’ah bi-’eshreen” (i.e. “pieces of five,” etc.): the last is also called “nus kirsh” (or “half a piaster”). These pieces, which are equivalent respectively to a farthing and one-fifth, two farthings and two-fifths, and a penny and one-fifth, are of the same composition as the single faddahs.

The “kirsh,” or Egyptian piaster, has already been shown to be equivalent to the hundredth part of a pound sterling, or the fifth of a shilling; that is, two pence and two-fifths. It is of the same composition as the pieces above mentioned, and an inch and one-eighth in diameter. On one face it bears the Sultán’s cypher; and on the other, in Arabic, “duriba fee Misr” (“coined in Misr,” commonly called Masr, i.e. Cairo), with the date of the present Básha’s accession to the government below (1223 of the Flight, or 1808-9 of our era), and the year of his government in which it was coined above. The inscriptions of the other coins are almost exactly similar.

The “saadeeyeh,” commonly called “kheyreeyeh bi-arba’′ah” (i.e. “the kheyreeyeh of four”), or the “small kheyreeyeh,” is a small gold coin, of the value of four piasters, or nine pence and three-fifths.

The “kheyreeyeh” properly so called, or “kheyreeyeh bi-tis’ah” (i.e. “kheyreeyeh of nine”), is a gold coin of the value of nine piasters, or twenty-one pence and three-fifths.

The above are the only Egyptian coins.

The coins of Constantinople are current in Egypt; but scarce.

European and American dollars are also current in Egypt: most of them are equivalent to twenty Egyptian piasters: the Spanish pillared dollar, to twenty-one. The name of “riyál faránsa” is given to every kind; but the pillared dollar is called “aboo midfa’” (or, “having a cannon”); the pillars being mistaken for cannons. The others have also distinguishing names. The Spanish doubloon (called in Arabic “debloon”), the value of which is sixteen dollars, is likewise current in this country: so also are the Venetian sequin (called “benduk′ee,” for “bunduk′ee”), and the English sovereign (which is called “ginyeh,” for guinea).

The “riyál” of Egypt is a nominal money, the value of ninety faddahs, or five pence and two-fifths. In, or about, the year of the Flight 1185 (A.D. 1771-2), the Spanish dollar passed for ninety faddahs, by order of ’Alee Béy. The dollar was then simply called “riyál;” and from that period, the above-mentioned number of faddahs has continued to be called by this name.

The “kees,” or purse, is the sum of five hundred piasters, or five pounds sterling.

The “khazneh,” or treasury, is a thousand purses, or five thousand pounds sterling.