Tanta

Tanta is a city in <a href="/facts/Egypt/8Ttg0JwB">Egypt</a>. Tanta had a population of 658,798 in 2018, making it the fifth most populous city in Egypt. Tanta is located between Cairo and Alexandria: 94 km (58 mi) north of <a href="/facts/Cairo/dXjj60ar">Cairo</a> and 130 km (81 mi) southeast of <a href="/facts/Alexandria/hdg1twWA">Alexandria</a>. The capital of <a href="/facts/Gharbia_Governorate/fFTw0y0g">Gharbia Governorate</a>, it is a center for the <a href="/facts/Cotton_gin/hAYQ3NLV">cotton-ginning</a> industry.
Tanta, a key city in Egypt, is both a major commercial hub and a significant cultural center. One of the major railway lines in Egypt passes through Tanta, enhancing its connectivity and importance. The city is best known for the Moulid of Ahmad al-Badawi, a week-long annual festival beginning on 11 October that attracts over a million visitors. This celebration honors <a href="/facts/Ahmad_al-Badawi/opmRk0sy">Ahmad al-Badawi</a>, a revered 13th-century Sufi figure who founded the <a href="/facts/Badawiyyah/KwAYR2mQ">Badawiyyah</a> order and is buried in the <a href="/facts/Ahmad_al-Badawi_Mosque/saDKr19D">Ahmad al-Badawi Mosque</a>, the city’s most prominent religious site.
Tanta is also famed for its sweet shops and snack industry, particularly for its roasted chickpeas and confections like Hab El-Aziz. In addition to food production, the city is known for its oil, soap, flax, and textile industries. It hosts both <a href="/facts/Tanta_University/a8IqwzUD">Tanta University</a> and a branch of <a href="/facts/Al-Azhar_University/eMNhDbNF">Al-Azhar University</a>, the only two universities in the governorate, offering diverse academic disciplines. The city also includes the historic Ahmadi Mosque, a long-standing center for Islamic scholarship.
Historically, Tanta dates back to the <a href="/facts/Late_Period_of_ancient_Egypt/JYkHXHvu">Late Period of ancient Egypt</a> and has gone by several names over time, such as Tanitad, Tantathna, and Tantata. It witnessed massive urban expansion, especially during the reign of <a href="/facts/Isma%2527il_Pasha/aM4Y6lsf">Isma'il Pasha</a> and later between the 1950s and 1970s, absorbing farmland and neighboring villages like Qaffaha, Sejer, and Satouta, and connecting with villages such as Sibrbay, Mahalla Marhom, Meet Habeesh El-Bahareya, and Kafr Essam.

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Tanta