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Emmanuel Casdagli
1830-1911

Emmanuel Casdagli was the founder of a successful and prosperous cotton empire that lasted over 100 years through family unity, discipline and hard work.

 Who was he? His will, made in 1910, stated that after ignoring his British naturalisation of 1870 and his former Russian status, Emmanuel was described as a Greek subject, citizen of Athens, resident of Cairo.

 Born and brought up in Rhodes then educated in Marseille, Emmanuel commenced his trading life by working alongside his father in Alexandria. It was at the  age of 31 in 1861  that he relocated to England to set up his trading firm  “Emmanuel Casdagli” seeing an opportunity in the lucrative Manchester cotton trade.

 Between 1871 and 1880 his wife Maria gave birth to 5 sons all of whom became partners in the business and thus began an era of fraternal collaboration within the family firm based in Egypt and Great Britain that lasted generations.

 With the company in Egypt feeding raw cotton to the family mills in Manchester enormous wealth was created. Emmanuel spent his time between his 2 residences  Kasr-el-Doubara, a landmark palace in Cairo and Kersal Hill Mansion in Manchester ruling the family empire with complete authority until he passed away in Cairo in 1911 at the age of 81.

Casdagli Cigars’ Basilica Line was created to honour the great patriarch of the Casdagli family – Emmanuel Casdagli. His portrait adorns Basilica Lines’ cigar band.