| Damanhur | |
| Native Name: | دمنهور |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Pushpin Map: | Egypt |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Pushpin Relief: | yes |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location within Egypt |
| Coordinates: | 31.0406°N 30.47°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  Egypt |
| Subdivision Type1: | Governorate |
| Subdivision Name1: | Beheira |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 6.840 |
| Elevation M: | 9 |
| Population Total: | 318,207 |
| Population As Of: | 2021 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Population Density Metro Sq Mi: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Area Code: | (+20) 45 |
| Timezone: | EET |
| Utc Offset: | +2 |
Damanhur (Arabic: دمنهور , pronounced as /dɑmɑnˈhuːɾ/) is a city in Lower Egypt, and the capital of the Beheira Governorate. It is located 160km (100miles) northwest of Cairo, and 70km (40miles) E.S.E. of Alexandria, in the middle of the western Nile Delta.31.0361°N 30.4694°WDamanhur is a historic city, which history can be dated back to the Old Kingdom of Egypt.[2] The modern city has also absorbed the ancient villages Shubra al-Jadida, Tāmus, Askanida and Chortaso .[3] [4] [5]
The city's modern Arabic name comes from Coptic p-Timinhor (Coptic: ⲡϯⲙⲓⲛ̀ϩⲱⲣ, in Coptic pronounced as /ptəmənhoːr/), which in turn is derived from, also attested in Aramaic .
The Greeks called the city Hermopolis Mikra (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: Ἑρμοῦ πόλις μικρά).[6]
The name of the city suggests that Horus, whom Greeks equated with Apollo, was worshipped as the chief deity. However, the Greek name for the town, Hermopolis Mikra, suggests that Hermes/Thoth was the local god. This discrepancy is possibly due to a misinterpretation that persisted even after the Greeks had gained a better understanding of Egypt.[7]
In ancient Egypt, the city was the capital of Lower Egypt's 7th Nome of A-ment. It stood on the banks of a canal which connected the lake Mareotis with the Canopic or most westerly arm of the Nile.[8]
The city attracted the notice of numerous ancient geographers, including Stephanus of Byzantium s. v., Strabo (xvii. p. 802), Ptolemy (iv. 5. § 46), and the author of the Antonine Itinerary (p. 154). It is a Roman Catholic titular see.
It was first made a provincial capital under Fatimid rule in 11th century, and in the Middle Ages it prospered as a caravan town on the post road from Cairo to Alexandria. It was severely damaged in 1302 by an earthquake, but in the late 14th century the Mamluk caliph Barquq restored its fortifications to protect the city from Bedouins.
In 1799, the city revolted against the French, who cruelly crushed the rebels, killing 1,500.
In 1986, the population of Damanhur was 188,939. The richly cultivated Beheira province gives rise to mainly agricultural industries which include cotton ginning, potato processing, and date picking. It also has a market for cotton and rice.
On the 10th of February 2023 six people, including three boys, were killed and at least 20 injured when an apartment building collapsed.[9]
Being located close to the Nile Delta and the northern coast of Egypt, that give Damanhur a hot desert climate (Köppen: BWh), moderated by blowing winds coming from the Mediterranean Sea, typical to the coast. The city gets average precipitation during winter, and rare rain during other seasons. Hail and frost are not unknown specifically during winter.