Tanta is a city in Egypt with the country's fifth largest populated area and 658,798 inhabitants as of 2018. Tanta is located between Cairo and Alexandria: north of Cairo and southeast of Alexandria. The capital of Gharbia Governorate, it is a center for the cotton-ginning industry. One of the major railway lines goes through Tanta. 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 sweets shops and roasted chickpeas.
Overview
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. The area around Tanta was mostly fields but Tanta had grown into a large crowded city. Tanta is known for its sweets. Sweets are sold all the year. Large quantites of sweets are sold when large numbers of Egyptians visit the city, during the mulid festivals. This city is a center of celebration in late October at the end of the cotton harvest. Three million people, from around the Delta and other parts of the Arab world, come for the Moulid of Sayid Ahmed el-Badawi, which is a colorful, religious, eight-day celebration. The moulid is centered around the mosque and tomb of Sayid Ahmad al-Badawi. He founded one of Egypt's largest Sufi orders called Ahmadiyyah or Badawiyya. He was born in Morocco, but emigrated to Arabia and was sent to Tanta in 1234 as a representative of the order from Iraq. He was given permission to start a new order in Tanta and it soon flourished into "one of Egypt's largest Sufi brotherhoods". Tanta is famous of sweet candy of gelatin, coconut, sesame, peanuts,and chickpeas.They have been considered a delicacy since the 1800s. Tanta has cotton ginning factories and textile industries, and is also a university town with Tanta University since 1972. The people of Tanta are called by Egyptian slang Tantawi.
Art, and culture
What originally began in Cairo, spread to Tanta when a group of young Egyptians began showing European movie screenings at Rivoli Cinema, the oldest cinema in Tanta. Called the 8th Edition Panorama of European Films, the young media students invited a film director to speak with the audience: people were enticed and the film screenings became a huge success. The group also began the Association of Cinema and Literature Lovers Group to encourage young filmmakers in Tanta.
Organizations
Tanta Sporting Club: It is An Egyptian Sports Club Based In Tanta, Egypt. Mohamed Saied Basha Founded Tanta Sporting Club In July 1932, As A Gathering Place For Tanta 's professionals. The Club's First President was Mohamed Saied Basha. First, it named Municipality Club, In 1936 after the King Farouk visited the club, it called First Foaud King Club. After the 1952 revolution, it called Tanta Sporting Club. The Club activities include social events and sports activities. Social activities include meeting areas for all the members, playground for children, Theater, Library, and restaurant. The sports activities include gymnastics, swimming, soccer ball, basketball, table tennis and Tennis. There is a Young Men's Muslim Association . Telecom Egypt, the main telephone landline Egyptian company, has one of its main centers in Tanta.
Sites
Saint George Coptic Orthodox Cathedral.Saint Virgin Mary Coptic Orthodox church, which is over 200 years old. Saint Peter Catholic church. Greek church The Museum of Tanta contains items from ancient nearby sites of Sais, Naucratis, and Buto, such as pottery and statues. El Mahallah is a large industrial town near Tanta, famous for its textile.
