Damanhour- Travel Tips

What to See, How to Plan & Tours

Damanhur, the capital of Beheira Governorate, is located 160 km northwest of Cairo and 70 km east-southeast of Alexandria in the western Nile Delta. With origins tracing back to the Old Kingdom, the city incorporates ancient villages such as Shubra al-Jadida, Tāmus, Askanida, and Chortaso, which illustrate its multi-layered history. Its name, derived from the Coptic term "p-Timinhor" meaning "settlement of Horus," highlights its historical religious significance. Historically, Damanhur served as the capital of Lower Egypt's 7th Nome of A-ment, its strategic position enhanced by a canal connecting lake Mareotis with the Nile, and it later developed as a caravan town in the Middle Ages before undergoing revival after the 1302 earthquake under Mamluk Caliph Barquq.