Al-Gharbiyya
Unpacking the secrets of this governorate’s ancient past has been an ongoing adventure for millennia. Today, Al-Gharbiyya is famous for the lucrative cotton and textiles industries and for famously sweet delicacies that are found in the city of Tanta. The Delta city is also famous for its Islamic heritage and Sufi traditions. In 1234, Ahmed al-Sayyid al-Badawi started a new Sufi order in Tanta, and it soon developed into one of the largest Sufi sects. An annual festival honoring Al-Badawi and Prophet Muhammad makes this city’s modest population explode to three million people in October, as pilgrims and tourists flock here for the festivities from all over the world.
The Tanta Museum
Founded in 1913, the Tanta Museum is one of the oldest museums in Egypt, housing some 2,000 artifacts. Visitors can view cultural artifacts from the ancient Egyptian , Graeco-Roman, Coptic, and Islamic periods.
Ahmed al-Badawi Mosque
The largest mosque in Tanta named after the Egyptian saint who founded the Badawiyya order of Sufism. Al-Badawi’s shrine and final resting place is within this Ottoman-style mosque. This important pilgrimage site for Sufis can hold up to 20,000 worshippers!
