Culture

thumb|Folklore show in Mansoura

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. Displayed in the museum are the suits of mail and swords of the crusaders, as well as a collection of maps. Huge paintings depict the Battle of Mansoura.

The Mansoura branch of the National Library was inaugurated in 2008 as the Mansoura Misr Library.

thumb|180px|left|Entrance to the Shinnawi Palace

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 built by a loyal servant of the Sultan and is located in Al-Sagha Street that 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 older and best established shops and businesses around the city still bear their original Greek names. Mansoura also had a small Italian population living in the city 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 traditionally relatively affluent residential districts of the city.

Infrastructure

Education

thumb|right|250px|[[University of Mansoura]]

The University of Mansoura was founded in 1962, initially as a branch of Cairo University. The Urology and Nephrology center of Mansoura University founded by Prof Mohammed Ghonem is considered to be the best kidney center in the Middle East and Africa.

  • Gezert Elward Sport Club: It is located directly on the Nile and has tennis courts, swimming, gymnastics, squash and social club. Recently, the gymnastics team participated under the seven-year club in the Republic Championship and received 2 gold medals 13 silver and 1 bronze and 1 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.

Notable people

  • Kareem Abu-Elmagd, Egyptian-American organ transplant surgeon
  • Ahmed El-Ghandour (Da7ee7), YouTuber and educator
  • Mohamed Ghoneim, urologist
  • Faten Hamama, actress
  • Ahmed Hamdi, engineer
  • Ahmed Hamed, Olympic pentathlete
  • Anis Mansour; writer
  • Hassan El-Imam, film director, titled Box-office King
  • Gad al-Haq Ali Gad al-Haq, Grand Imam of Al-Azhar from 1982 to 1996; public figure and 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
  • Adel Emam, actor
  • Ibrahim Salah; footballer
  • Hesham Sallam, paleontologist
  • Soheir Zaki, dancer

See also

  • List of cities and towns in Egypt
  • Central Library - Mansoura University

References

  • http://www.dakahliya.gov.eg/Dakhlya/PDF_Files_/Dr_Ayman.pdf
  • Official website