Hussein Refki Pasha
# Hussein Refki Pasha

Hussein Refki Pasha Ahmed Hafez Mohammed Hafez (Arabic: حسين رفقي باشا; 1876–1950) was an Egyptian military general and politician who served as Egypt's 25th Minister of War and Marine.

## Career

Hussein Refki Pasha served as Egypt's Minister of War and Marine from December 1937 to April 1938, during the early reign of King Farouk of Egypt. Refki later became a senator in the Egyptian Senate (Arabic: مجلس الشيوخ; Majlis-al-Shuyukh), the upper-house of the Egyptian Parliament (dissolved in 1956). Prior to his political career, Refki served in the royal court as Chief Aide-de-Camp (Arabic: كبير الياوران; Kebeer-al-Yawaran) to kings Fuad I and Farouk. As Chief Aide-de-Camp, Refki commanded the King's Military Household (predecessor to the Republican Guard of Egypt), which included the royal guard and other elite military formations. A street is named for Refki in the Sarayat El-Quba neighbourhood of Heliopolis, Cairo.

## Family

Hussein Refki Pasha was born in Cairo, Egypt, to an aristocratic Turco-Egyptian family of statesmen and military officers. Refki's grandfather, Mehmet Hafiz Pasha, was an Ottoman military commander who served as Serasker of the army, as Wali (governor) of Bosnia, Diyarbekir Eyalet, Sivas Eyalet, Erzurum Eyalet, Konya, Ionnina, Skopje, Erdine, and Mosul, and as Sheikh Al-Haram (civil governor) of Medina. Refki's father, Ahmed Hafez Bey, and Refki's brother, Hassan Hafez Pasha, both served as career officers in the Egyptian Army.

Refki’s family has also produced several eminent Egyptian judges. Refki's only child, Chancellor Hafez Refky, was a member of Egypt's Supreme Judicial Council (Arabic: مجلس القضاء الاعلى; Majlis al-Qada' al-A'la), and Vice-President of Egypt's Court of Cassation (Arabic: محكمة النقض; Mahkamat-al-Naqd), Egypt's highest appellate court. Refki's nephew, Chancellor Fouad Hafez, was President of the Egyptian Court of Appeals in Cairo (Arabic: محكمة استئناف القاهرة; Mahkamat Isti'naf al-Qahirah).

Hussein Refki Pasha is related to the Muhammad Ali dynasty of Egypt through his mother, who is directly descended from the dynasty's founder, Muhammad Ali of Egypt. Since the 1930s Refki and his patrilineal descendants have used the surname "Refky" or "Refki."

## Awards and honours

* Grand Cordon Order of Ismail
* Grand Cordon Order of the Nile
* Knight Grand Cross Order of the Crown of Italy
* Knight Grand Cross Order of the Star of Ethiopia
* Honour Medal of Syrian Merit, First Class
* Honour Medal of Lebanese Merit, First Class
* Grand Officer Order of Leopold II
* Chief ADC to King Fuad I of Egypt
* Chief ADC to King Farouk of Egypt
