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Mansura
Arabic:
'al-mansūra
City in Egypt with 440,000 inhabitants (2005 estimate), in the Nile Delta, along the Damietta branch of the Nile. It is the capital of to the Daqahliyah governorate.
Mansura is a commercial and manufacturing centre, dealing mainly in cotton, rice and flax. Industries include cotton ginning, cotton and rice processing, flour milling and textile weaving.
Mansura has fair connections to other urban centres by road and rail. Talkha, on the west bank of the river, is connected by a railway bridge. Damietta is 64 km northeast, Mahalla el-Kubra 25 km west, Port Said 115 km northeast and Cairo 120 km south.
Mansura has two higher learning institutions, the Mansura University, founded 1972, and the Mansura Polytechnical Institute, founded in 1957.
The city's name, Mansura, is Arabic for "victory," most likely reflecting the battle of 1250.
HISTORY
1219: A military camp is founded here by the nephew of Saladin, Malik al-Kamil.
1249: Damietta is captured by the Christian Crusaders, and Egyptian troops move to the camp at Mansura.
1250: The Crusaders are beaten by the Egyptian troops. The French king, Louis 9 is captured together with most of his knights and held for ransom.
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By: Tore Kjeilen
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