YPRES (Flem. Yperen), a town of Belgium, capital of an arrondissement in the province of West Flanders, stands in a fertile plain on the Yperlee, 21 miles north-north-west of Lille. In the 14th century it is said to have contained 200,000 inhabitants; and it was long famous for its woollen and linen manufactures, though the once current derivation of the word “diaper” from the name of this town can no longer be maintained. Of the old fortifications some traces still remain, as well as a few picturesque dwelling-houses of the 14th and 15th centuries. The fine Gothic cloth hall (1201-1342), with a façade 462 feet in length, is pierced by two rows of pointed windows; there are two corner turrets; and in the centre rises a massive square clock tower. The forty-four statues of counts of Flanders and their consorts which formerly adorned it were restored in 1860. The town-hall (1730) contains some interesting frescos and sculptures of modern date. The finest parts of the Gothic cathedral of St Martin (1221-70) are the choir, and the portal and rose window of the south transept; in the interior is some good woodcarving; the old frescos were “restored” in 1826. In the cloister is the tomb of Cornelius Jansen (q.v.). The town contains several other churches, as well as hospitals, a military school, a museum, and a public library. The chief manufactures are those of linen thread and lace and of woollen and linen cloth; dyeing, bleaching, and tanning are also carried on. The population in 1876 was 15,515.