Damietta

Damietta is a busy port city in Egypt.

It sits on the Damietta branch of the Nile Delta. This branch is a part of the Nile river. The city is also very close to the Mediterranean Sea. It is located north of the large city of Cairo. Because it sits where the river meets the sea, it is a very important place for ships.

The city is famous for many different things. It is very well known for its furniture industry. People make wood furniture there and sell it to many countries. They sell it in Africa, Europe, and the United States. Damietta is also a place for fishing. You can find tasty White Domiati cheese and sweet desserts there.

The city also has a large plant that makes liquefied natural gas.

Damietta has a very long and exciting history. It was once a major naval base for many groups. In the 6th century, a writer named Stephanus of Byzantium mentioned it. During the time of the Crusades, many people fought to control the city. This was because controlling Damietta meant controlling the Nile river. If you controlled the river, you could control much of Egypt.

Many different leaders have held power in this city. In the 13th century, the Crusaders captured the port. Later, the French king Louis IX arrived with a fleet in 1249. He captured the fort but was later taken prisoner. A leader named Baybars destroyed the city in 1251. He then rebuilt it with much stronger walls. He did this to make the river path hard for ships to pass.

Today, Damietta is a place where the past meets the present. You can see the Old Bridge from the early 20th century. There are also many beautiful mosques, like the El-Bahr Mosque. The city is also part of a special group called the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities. A new canal connects the city to the Nile river. This helps the modern Damietta Port move many large containers.