Mansura

Mansura, the capital of the province of Dakahlia, Lower Egypt, near the west side of Lake Menzala, and on the CairoDamietta railway. Pop. (1907), 40,279. It dates from 1221, and is famous as the scene of the battle of Mansura, fought on the 8th of February 1250, between the crusaders commanded by the king of France, St Louis, and the Egyptians. The battle was drawn, but it led to the retreat of the crusaders on Damietta, and to the surrender of St Louis. Mansura has several cottonginning, cotton, linen and sail-cloth factories.