Muhammed Ali was born in the Ottoman Empire, in the area which is now the Greek province of Macedonia. His Ancestors was from İliç a City in Asia Minor. He led a group of Albanian troops sent to Egypt. They were part of an Ottoman force that reoccupied Egypt after Napoleon's French troops left. The Ottomans had ruled Egypt by a Wali (Governor) with Mamluk troops. The Mamluks were former slaves.