Al-Maḥalla

Mahalla lies in the heart of Egypt's fertile Nile Delta, west of the Damietta branch. Surrounded by fields and waterways, it developed into a major centre of the Gharbiyya region. In 1320, during the reign of the Mamluk sultan al-Nasir Muhammad, it became the provincial capital. The town retained that position for centuries, until the administrative seat was transferred to Tanta in 1836.