The Pharaonic Era

Some historians and archaeologists mention that Lower Egypt was divided into 20 provinces, with Damietta being the seventeenth. Its ancient Egyptian name was Tamhit, meaning "Land of the North," or "Tam-ati," meaning "City of Water" or "City of the Watercourse."

The Greco-Roman Era

Damietta came under Greek rule as one of the Egyptian cities after Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 BC. The Ptolemies ruled until the Roman Empire occupied it in 30 BC. Trade and cultural relations between Damietta and the Greek people increased, as a large number of scholars, writers, and tourists migrated there, interested in studying Egyptian history, antiquities, customs, and traditions. Damietta remained under Greek rule for three centuries and was called "Tamiats" during that period.

The Roman and Byzantine (Coptic) Era

The Romans used Damietta as a fertile field, supplying them with grain, flax, and other agricultural products. They increased taxes on the population, which fueled resentment against the Romans and sparked revolts. When Christianity entered Egypt, churches spread in Damietta, especially during the reign of Emperor Constantine in 325 AD. Damietta became a large bishopric with a bishop representing it at international religious conferences. The name Tamiats changed to "Tamiyat," and it is said that its meaning in ancient Egyptian was "the northern land that grows flax."

Damietta and the Islamic Conquest

By the middle of the 7th century AD, Egypt had become an Arab province under Arab rule, and Islam had entered the region. Al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad, on behalf of the armies of Amr ibn al-As, conquered Damietta, thus giving the Arabs control of the Nile's outlets to the Mediterranean Sea in 642 AD. Damietta began to attract Arab migrants from the Arabian Peninsula and the conquering army. The Arabs called Lower Egypt "the lower part of the land" and Arabized many city names, including Damietta.

The people of Damietta began to embrace Islam, and its inhabitants started learning Arabic. The city witnessed the fusion of all elements into a single melting pot in terms of social systems, customs, sciences, and arts.

After Islam entered Egypt, Damietta was subjected to two Byzantine raids, the first in 709 CE and the second in 728 CE, but both raids failed.

The ninth century

In the ninth century when Harun al-Rashid died in 808 CE, a conflict erupted between his two sons, al-Amin and al-Ma'mun. The effects of this conflict reached Egypt, and Damietta witnessed some of its chapters. Amidst this turmoil, the Byzantines attacked Damietta from the sea with a number of armed ships. However, the people of the city fought the Byzantines, defeated them, and drove them out of Damietta. As a result of this campaign, Caliph al-Mutawakkil ordered the construction of the Damietta fortress.

The First Crusade

In 1170 AD, the Franks reached Damietta during the First Crusade and besieged the city by land and sea. Saladin sent troops to them via the Nile, supplying them with weapons, ammunition, and money. When the situation became dire for the people of Damietta, Saladin sought help from Nur ad-Din Zangi, the Sultan of Syria, who provided him with soldiers and weapons. Nur ad-Din also marched from Damascus to fight the Crusaders, who were forced to retreat after several of their ships sank and disease spread among them.

The Second Crusade

On May 30, 1218, the vanguard of the Second Crusade, led by John of Brienne, arrived before Damietta. The Crusaders captured the city and held it for 16 months. After capturing and fortifying Damietta, they advanced to confront the army of Sultan al-Kamil, which had gathered before Mansoura. The Damietta branch of the Nile and the Ashmoun Canal separated the two armies. Sultan al-Kamil cut off the Franks' route to Damietta and built strong fortifications on the Nile south of Damietta. The Franks requested peace on the condition that they withdraw from Damietta and the entire region. The Franks departed for their lands, and Sultan al-Kamil entered Damietta. News of the liberation of Damietta was sent to all the Islamic states.

The Third Crusade

The Crusaders once again invaded Egypt via Damietta, leading a campaign headed by Louis IX, King of France. They reached the shores of Damietta on June 4, 1249. The people of Damietta displayed remarkable heroism and sacrifice in resisting the Crusader campaign. The Frankish armies suffered a series of defeats, from their defeat at Fariskur to their defeat at Mansoura, culminating in the defeat of Louis IX's forces at Damietta. Louis IX was captured in the village of Mit al-Khouli Abdullah in Damietta and imprisoned in the Ibn Luqman House in Mansoura. He later ransomed himself and his men for 400,000 Egyptian pounds in exchange for their evacuation from Damietta. The campaign withdrew from Damietta on May 8, 1250, and this day became a national holiday for the governorate.

Damietta in the Mamluk Era

The Mamluk sultans paid close attention to Damietta due to its excellent geographical and strategic location. Sultan al-Zahir Baybars established a large garrison there for its defense after visiting in 1264 CE. From Damietta, naval raids began, with Egyptian fleets launching attacks on Cyprus, successfully conquering and annexing it to Egypt in 1426 CE. Damietta became a place of exile for disgraced princes and deposed Mamluk sultans. Sultan al-Ashraf Qaitbay took a particular interest in Damietta, visiting it twice to oversee its military and urban development. During his reign, the al-Mutabwaliyah School was built. In the late 9th century AH (15th century CE), its status was elevated from a province to a viceroyalty.

Damietta in the Ottoman Era

In the same year that the economic conditions in the state's ports, including Damietta, were described as declining (1517 CE), the Ottoman Turks conquered Egypt and ended the Mamluk Sultanate. Damietta, like all of Egypt, suffered during this period from instability and numerous conflicts. It remained a place of exile for rebellious princes, as it had been in the preceding era.

Damietta During the French Campaign

Scholars of the French campaign confirmed that Damietta was the second largest city in Egypt, with a population of 30,000 at that time. The French were interested in Damietta and sought to seize it after their capture of Cairo. Revolts against the French erupted, led by Hassan Tobar, the leader of the Manzala region, but they were able to suppress these uprisings. They then established a fortress at Ezbet El-Borg and two fortresses at the eastern and western entrances to the strait.

Damietta during the Muhammad Ali Dynasty

During the reign of Muhammad Ali, the Great:

In the early years, Damietta maintained its status as Egypt's primary port. It boasted numerous caravanserais and trading posts. During his reign, an infantry school was established in Damietta to train officers for the infantry. A spinning mill was also built, and in 1818, Damietta was made a governorate.

During the reign of Abbas Pasha I:

Damietta's status as a port declined, becoming second only to Alexandria, but it did not lose its military importance. Abbas I constructed a military road extending from the city to the port's estuary, and established several gunpowder depots and a quarantine building.

During the reign of Ismail Pasha:

This was an era of civil reform. The railway and telegraph reached the city's western bank (Al-Sinaniyah), and telegraph wires were extended to all the port's fortresses, especially the Azbat al-Burj fortress. New fortifications were built and equipped with heavy cannons. The Damietta Lighthouse was also constructed during his reign, and in late 1843, the Damietta Municipal Council was established.

During the reign of Tawfiq Pasha:

In April 1880, Khedive Tawfiq Pasha visited Damietta. Shortly afterward, the Urabi Revolt broke out. During the revolt, Abd al-Aal Hilmi, one of its heroes, traveled to Damietta to oversee its defense. However, after the British entered Egypt and triumphed at the Battle of Tell al-Kabir, Damietta was captured, and Abd al-Aal Hilmi was exiled to Ceylon.

During the reign of King Fuad I:

Thought began to be given to revitalizing the port of Damietta. In 1930, proposals for its development were submitted by some foreign experts and the prominent Egyptian engineer, Ahmed Ragheb Bey.

Damietta in the 20th Century:

At the beginning of the 20th century, the British occupation still loomed large over the country, and Damietta was slowly progressing towards modernization. The expansion of cotton cultivation led to the digging of the Tawfiqiyah Canal. The disruption of trade and navigation due to World War I, and the resulting loss of European furniture and footwear supplies, spurred the growth of Damietta's handicraft factories, which refined their production. In 1920, the first silk factory was established. Damietta became a governorate in 1954, following the July 23 Revolution, after the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 1755 of 1960.

Damietta in the 21st Century:

With the dawn of the 21st century, and specifically in mid-2004, Damietta witnessed a significant transformation. The Mubarak Project for Urban Development and Coordination was implemented in the cities of Damietta and Ras El Bar, extending to the rest of the governorate's cities and villages. A number of human development projects were also implemented, most notably the Mubarak Public Library in Damietta, the declaration of Damietta as the first Egyptian governorate free of illiteracy, the implementation of the second smart village in Egypt on Damietta land, and other projects.