The city of Ypres is also commonly known as Ieper - which is its official Dutch name commonly-used name amongst the Flemish-speaking community. Its French name - Ypres - which was popularised by the media following the First World War, is more commonly...more
The city of Ypres is also commonly known as Ieper - which is its official Dutch name commonly-used name amongst the Flemish-speaking community. Its French name - Ypres - which was popularised by the media following the First World War, is more commonly used amongst English speakers in the town. Like its name, the city is strongly tied to the First World War, during which it played a prominent role.
Many of the intense and important battles of the First World War took place at Ypres and it is estimated that around 300,000 soldiers of the Allied Forces lost their lives while battling in the city. Most of Ypres was rebuilt with the war debt money of Germany following the First World War and several battlefields and cemeteries are amongst the many attractions offered by the city.
At present, the friendly town is home to a population of around 36,000 residents and offers numerous landmarks, memorials, museums and galleries for sight-seers. Some of the notable landmarks in the city include the Menin Gate Memorial, In Flanders Fields Museum, Memorial Museum Passchendaele and a number of cemeteries.
The closest airport to Ypres in Belgium is the Brussels Airport, which is located about 110 kilometres away from the city centre of Ypres. Numerous shops, restaurants as well as prayer facilities for Muslim travellers are available at the airport.
Finding Halal food in Ypres will be somewhat difficult since there are no known Halal restaurants in Ypres. However there are a few Halal restaurants available in some of the major neighbouring cities such as Bruges and Ghent. Some of the well-known Halal restaurants in Ghent include - Harira & Co., Lebanon Restaurant, Mario Pizza, Pizza Gülhan and Hunkar Kebab – and Halal restaurants in Bruges include the Subway located at Eiermarkt 20 and Toet Anch Amon located at Academiestraat 6.
Though there are no known mosques in Ypres, there are a few mosques located at some of the major neighbouring cities such as Ghent and Ostend. Some of the mosques in Ghent include include Hizirbey Camisi, Eyup Sultan Camisi and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Camii Derne which are located in relatively close proximity.