Dawntrail… He’s kinda important too.
As for everything else, the original 1.0 city-states are less overt in taking everything directly from one culture than subsequent nations. Thanalan has very obvious Egyptian inspirations with mummies and tombs, but Meracydia has pyramids, hippos, and monsters based on Egyptian gods. Otherwise Ul’dah feels vaguely fantasy Arab-ish using tropes like “desert mercantile city” and seems to lean more on trying to be its own thing while using tropes rather than a giant flashing sign saying “THIS IS FANTASY MAMLUK EGYPT” like kinda happens now.
Ala Mhigo to me feels more Ottoman/Turk. They are situated on the border between two great continents and were heavily invested in trade until they were avoided by merchants taking sea routes (exactly like the Ottomans). They were also belligerent toward their neighbors and made several attempts on them, only failing due to their neighbors ganging up together to defend themselves. Their cannons, tents, and cuisine also seem inspired by the Ottoman Empire.