Soliman Pasha was born in Lyon. He was a sailor. Later he joined the army of Napoleon Bonaparte. He fought at the battles of Trafalgar and Waterloo. Then he converted to Islam and was recruited to help build the Egyptian army on the European model. He married an Egyptian woman, Maria Myriam Hanem, with whom he had three children, Nazli (future grandmother of Queen Nazli), Aasma and Mahadi. His great-granddaughter was Queen Nazli of Egypt, wife of King Fuad, and mother of King Farouk. Suleiman Pasha died in Cairo. As of 2003, he still had many descendants living in Egypt.