Al-Manṣūrah

Al-Manṣūrah, capital of Al-Daqahliyyah muḥāfaẓah (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-Kāmil, nephew of Saladin (Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn). It was occupied briefly by Crusaders, who in 1250 were decimated by the Muslim forces of Tūrān Shāh, 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-Manṣūrah (Arabic: “the Victory”) apparently dates from this battle, which contributed significantly to the ultimate defeat of the Frankish expedition.

The modern city, on Al-Baḥr Al-Ṣaghīr (canal linking the Damietta Branch with the lagoon of Lake Manzala [Buḥayrat Al-Manzilah]), 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-Manṣūrah Polytechnical Institute was established in 1957 and Al-Manṣūrah University in 1972; the Institute of Al-Manṣūrah is a section of Al-Azhar University at Cairo. Historic structures include a fort named after Louis IX and the Sanga Mosque. Al-Manṣūrah is linked to Talkhā, on the west bank of the Damietta Branch, by a railway bridge. Pop. (2006) 439,348.