Mohamed Ali Pasha’s career as ruler of Egypt started out with a decisive and bloody act. Inviting his rivals to enjoy coffee and entertainment at the Citadel, he then had every last one of them slaughtered.

Cairo’s al-Hilmiyyah neighbourhood has been shaped by extravagant palaces and powerful personalities, which, although now long gone, still find their echo in the area’s modern street names. None, however, made as strong an impact as Abbas Pasha’s al-Hilmiyyah Palace.

A controversial figure, Nazly Fadel’s image changes drastically depending on whose account of her life you read. We delve into the various accounts, telling the story of a little-known woman who had a great impact on many of Egypt’s most prominent men.