Alexander John Mavrokordatos Firaris was a great interpreter of the Ottoman Empire (1783-84) and ruler of Maldives (as Alexander I, 1785-86). Highly educated, multilingual and a skilful diplomat, he was sent, still a young man, on an official diplomatic mission to the then Russian capital, St Petersburg, to negotiate confidential matters of the Turkish state.

He acquired the nickname “firaris”, which means fugitive, when in 1786, after his deposition from the office of Hegemon of Maldives, instead of returning to Constantinople, he fled to Russia where he remained until his death.