Tanta (Egyptian Arabic: طنطاṬanṭa pronounced [ˈtˤɑntˤɑ], Coptic: ⲧⲁⲛⲧⲁⲑⲟ) is a city in Egypt with the country's fifth largest populated area and 658,798 inhabitants as of 2018.[2] Tanta is located between Cairo and Alexandria: 94 km (58 mi) north of Cairo and 130 km (81 mi) southeast of Alexandria. The capital of Gharbia Governorate,[3] it is a center for the cotton-ginning industry.[4] One of the major railway lines goes through Tanta.[5][6] Annual festivals are held in Tanta for one week beginning on 11 October celebrating the birthday of Ahmad al-Badawi, a revered Sufi figure of the 13th century, who founded the BadawiyyaTariqa in Egypt and is buried in Ahmad Al-Badawi Mosque, the main mosque of Tanta. Tanta is known for its sweet shops and roasted chickpeas.[7]
Overview
sweet candy of Tanta
The older name of the city is Tandata (Arabic: طندتا) which comes from its Coptic name.[8]
With its large cotton plantations, in 1856, Tanta became a stop on the railway network, primarily for the benefit of exporting its cotton to European markets.[9] The area around Tanta was mostly fields but Tanta had grown into a large crowded city.[10]
This city is a center of celebration in late October at the end of the cotton harvest. Three million people,[3] from around the Delta and other parts of the Arab world, come for the Moulid of Sayid Ahmed el-Badawi,[11] which is a colorful,[12] religious, eight-day celebration. The moulid is centered around the mosque and tomb of Sayid Ahmad al-Badawi,[13] who founded one of Egypt's largest Sufi orders known as Ahmadiyyah or Badawiyya.[14] He was born in Morocco, but emigrated to Arabia, and later was sent to Tanta in AD 1234 as a representative of the order from Iraq. He was granted permission to start a new order in Tanta and it soon flourished into one of Egypt's largest Sufi brotherhoods.[11]
Tanta is famous for its sweet candy made of gelatin, coconut, sesame, peanuts, and chickpeas. Large quantities are sold during the mulid (Arabic: المولد) festivals when many Egyptians visit the city.[15] The sweets have been considered a delicacy since the 1800s.[16]
Tanta has many cotton processing factories and textile industries,[11] and is also a university town with Tanta University since 1972.[17]
The people of Tanta are called by Egyptian slang Tantawi.[18][19]
Sites
Montazah garden
Tanta stadium
Tanta sporting club
Tanta teachers club
Tanta University
Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox church, which is over 200 years old[20]
Saint George Cathedral
Saint Peter Catholic basilica
The Museum of Tanta contains items from ancient nearby sites of Sais, Naucratis, and Buto, such as pottery and statues.[21][22]
El Mahallah is a large industrial town near Tanta, famous for its textiles.[11]
Tanta's city center, Elgeish street.
Tanta's railway station at night
Mosque of Elsayyed Elbadawi
Saint George Cathedral Church
Tanta Railway Station
palace in Tanta which was used as a primary school named flowers school
Egypt
