In an epic poem preserved in a manuscript dated to 1806, the Albanian and Kurdish troops who defeated Napoleon's army during the Siege of Acre (1799) are praised for their defense of the local population:
"Where are the people of Acre, a wall protecting the women?
O sekmen, hurry! I do not want to hear excuses!"
They pounced upon them like countless lions,
The Arnā'ūt and Kurds, their breasts boiling with zeal.
They drew their swords like lions,
Seeking the reward of palaces and hūrīs in Paradise.
They made religion (al-dīn) triumph, their faces pale,
Selling their souls in exchange for reward in the next world.
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