(Flemish, Yperen), a fortified town of Belgium, capital of an arrondissement of the same name, in the province of West Flanders, stands in a fertile plain on the Yperlee, 30 miles S.S.W. of Bruges, and 16 N.E. of Lille. The marshes in the vicinity having been mostly drained, the town has been rendered less unhealthy than formerly. At one time Ypres is said to have contained 200,000 inhabitants; and it was long famous for its woollen and linen manufactures, the fabric called diaper (a corruption of d'Yperen) having derived its name from this town, where it was first made. The chief manufactures are now linen thread and lace; but it has also manufactures of woollen and linen cloth; with dye and bleaching works, tanneries, &c. The town-house and cloth-hall occupy a vast Gothic building of the fourteenth century, surmounted by a fine tower in the centre. The cathedral of St Martin is a Gothic edifice of considerable size, but of no great beauty. Jansen, the founder of the Jansenists, was bishop of Ypres in the 17th century, and is buried in the cathedral. There are several other churches and chapels, four hospitals, an exchange, a royal college, academy of painting, and a public library.