The Battle of Boharsef took place during the Egyptian–Ottoman War (1839–1841) between Ottoman Empire forces, supported by Britain and Austria, and the Egyptian forces led by Ibrahim Pasha, son of the powerful Egyptian governor, Muhammad Ali. The battle occurred as part of a broader Allied effort to curtail Muhammad Ali’s ambitions, which had brought much of Syria under Egyptian control.
In October 1840, as British Commodore Charles Napier led a campaign to drive the Egyptian forces out of Lebanon, he successfully launched attacks in Sidon and other strategic locations before advancing to the heights of Boharsef. Despite orders to cede command to Brigadier-General Charles Smith, Napier pressed forward with the assault on Boharsef. His forces ultimately achieved a hard-fought victory over Ibrahim Pasha’s troops, marking a significant Allied advance. This success contributed to the larger Allied push toward Acre, a decisive action that eventually led to Egyptian withdrawal and the Treaty of London (1841), which formalized the Ottomans' hold over Syria and limited Muhammad Ali’s control to Egypt alone.
This conflict reflected the geopolitical tensions of the era, with European powers intervening to stabilize the Ottoman Empire and check Egypt's regional power expansion.
Ottoman Empire
United Kingdom
Austrian Empire
Egypt