Tanta, city in northeastern Egypt, capital of Gharbiyah Governorate, in the Nile River delta. It is an important railroad junction and is situated on a major highway connecting Cairo and Alexandria. Manufactures in Tanta include textiles, processed food, and tobacco products. The mosque and tomb of Ahmad al-Badawi, a Muslim holy man who lived during the 1200s, and Tanta University (1972) are here. Population 380,000 (1992 estimate).
