Mansoura, also spelt El-Mansura, is the capital of Al-Daqahliyyah governorate, on the east bank of the Damietta Branch of the Nile River delta, Lower Egypt. It originated in 1219 CE as the camp of al-Malik al-Kamil, nephew of Saladin. It was occupied briefly by Crusaders, who in 1250 were decimated by the Muslim forces of Turan Shah, who captured their leader, King Louis IX (later St. Louis) of France, and most of his knights and held them for ransom. The name Al-Mansurah dates from this battle, which contributed significantly to the ultimate defeat of the Frankish expedition.
The modern city, on Al-Bahr Al-Saghir (canal linking the Damietta Branch with the lagoon of Lake Manzala), is a market centre for the cotton, rice, and flax of the northeastern delta. Industrial activities include cotton ginning, cotton and rice processing, flour milling, and textile weaving. The Al-Mansurah Polytechnical Institute was established in 1957 and Al-Mansurah University in 1972; the Institute of Al-Mansurah is a section of Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Historic structures include a fort named after Louis IX and the Sanga Mosque. Al-Mansurah is linked to Talkha, on the west bank of the Damietta Branch, by a railway bridge. Pop. (2006) 439,348.
Etymology
Mansoura in Arabic means “victorious”. The city is named after the El Mansoura Battle against Louis IX of France during the Seventh Crusade.
History
Mansoura was established in 1219 by al-Kamil of the Ayyubid dynasty upon a Phatmetic branch of the Nile in a place of several older villages like Al-Bishtamir (Arabic: البشطمير) and Kafr al-Badamas (Arabic: كفر البدماص). After the Egyptians defeated the Crusaders during the Seventh Crusade, it was named Mansoura (aka. “The Victorious”).
In the Seventh Crusade, the Capetians were defeated and put to flight; fifteen and thirty thousand of their men fell on the battlefield. Louis IX of France was captured in the primary Battle of Mansoura and confined in the house of Ibrahim Ibn Lokman, secretary of the Sultan, and under the guard of the eunuch Sobih. The king’s brother was imprisoned in the same place. The Sultan provided for their sustenance. The house of Ibrahim Ibn Lokman is now the only museum in Mansoura. It is open to the public and houses articles that used to belong to the French monarch, including his thirteenth-century toilet.
The Mansura Air Battle on October 14, 1973, occurred during the Yom Kippur War. The Egyptian Air Force intercepted Israeli Air Force fighters attacking Egyptian air bases. On that day, 160 jet fighters belonging to Israel battled for 53 minutes over Mansoura. Egyptian army claims that despite the numerical and qualitative superiority of the Israeli warplanes, 17 Israeli planes were downed. (2 according to the Israelis). The rest retreated. Egypt announced the loss of six planes, only three of which fell to Israeli fire. The Egyptian government subsequently changed the country’s “Air Force Day” from November 2 to October 14 to commemorate the Mansoura Air Battle.
Location
Mansoura lies on the east bank of the Damietta branch of the Nile in the Delta region. Mansoura is about 120 km northeast of Cairo. Across from the city, on the opposite bank of the Nile, is the town of Talkha.
Culture
The Egyptian Arabic dialect spoken by Mansoura’s population is a northern Egyptian Arabic dialect, with noticeable influences from the city’s surrounding rural villages, each of which has contributed to the city’s population over the years. There are some similarities to Alexandrian Egyptian Arabic in some aspects of pronunciation.
Mansoura National Museum used to be Dar Ibn Lockman, the house where Louis IX was imprisoned in 1250 during the Seventh Crusade. Huge paintings depict the Battle of Mansoura. Displayed in the museum are the suits of mail, swords of the crusaders, and a collection of maps.
The Mansoura branch of the National Library was recently inaugurated as the Mansoura Misr Library.
Mansoura is famous for its architectural style, especially the Shinnawi Palace (after Mohamed Bek El-Shinnawi, a member of the Wafd Party). It was built by an Italian architect in 1928. The mosque of El-Saleh Ayoub El-Kebir is one of the most important in Mansoura. It was constructed by a loyal servant of the Sultan and is located on Al-Sagha Street, which separates “Old Mansoura” from the modern city.
Like Cairo, Alexandria and Port Said, Mansoura was home to a flourishing Greek community until the Nasser era, when many were forced to leave. Many of the city’s older and best-established shops and businesses still bear their original Greek names. Mansoura also had a small Italian population living in the town too. The first Old English school in the city was established on the site of the old Greek school in the Toriel area, one of the city’s traditionally relatively affluent residential districts.
Education
The University of Mansoura was founded in 1962, initially as a branch of Cairo University. The Urology and Nephrology centre of Mansoura University, founded by Prof Mohammed Ghonem, is considered the best kidney centre in the Middle East and Africa.
Mansoura has a sports stadium (Mansoura Stadium) which is home to its football team.
Clubs Sport
Gezert Elward Sports Club: It is located directly on the Nile and has tennis courts, swimming, gymnastics, squash and a social club. Recently, the gymnastics team participated under the seven-year club in the Republic Championship and received two gold medals, 13 silver and one bronze and one participation.
- Mansoura Sports Club: It has an official football field.
- Mansoura Sports Stadium: It has an official football field, swimming pool, social club and many sports facilities.
- The Olympic Village (Mansoura University Stadium): It covers an area of 15 acres and is open to university students, faculty members and those wishing to play abroad in individual and group games.
- Nile Club: The club was established by decision of the University Council in its session on 12/27/1993, provided that it has financial, administrative and technical resignation, and it is located on Rose Island in the lower walkway in Mansoura. The club is a cultural, social, sports and recreational centre for faculty members, assistants, and university staff.
Notable persons
- Reem Bassem; Economic Development Specialist.
- Adel Emam; Egyptian actor.
- Hassan El-Imam; Egyptian film director
- Mohamed Ghoneim Urologist.
- Anis Mansour; Egyptian writer.
- Gad al-Haq Ali Gad al-Haq; Grand Imam of Al-Azhar from 1982 to 1996; Public figure; Islamic scholar.
- Ibrahim Salah; Footballer.
- Muhammad Metwali Alsharawi; Public figure; Islamic scholar.
- Pope Tawadros II; Pope of Alexandria & Patriarch of All Africa on the Holy Apostolic See of Saint Mark the Evangelist of the Coptic Orthodox Church of Alexandria.
- Umm Kulthum; Singer, title Kawkab al-Sharq.
- Farouk El-Baz; Space Scientist.
- Ahmed Hamdi
- Hesham Sallam
