Tanta
strikeout.nu Tanta (Egyptian Arabic: طنطا Ṭanṭa pronounced [ˈtˤɑntˤɑ], Coptic: ⲧⲁⲛⲧⲁⲑⲟ) is a large city in Egypt. It is the country's fifth largest populated area, with 421,076 inhabitants as of 2006.[1] 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,[2] it is a center for the cotton-ginning industry.[3] One of the major railway lines goes through Tanta.[4][5] Three annual festivals are held in Tanta in honor of Ahmad al-Badawi, a revered Sufi figure of the 13th century, who founded the Badawiyya Tariqa 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.[6]