El Mahalla El Kubra (, ) – commonly shortened to ' – is the largest city of the Gharbia Governorate and in the Nile Delta, with a population of 550,000 as of 2024. The name is probably a rough translation of its Coptic Egyptian equivalent ti-Šairi ().
History
In the Chronicle of John of Nikiu el-Mahalla is also given a name Didouseya, which could be equated with Theodosiou (). It is given as Theodosiou Nixis () by Daressy, but it's rather an equation of two nearby towns (Theodosiou and Nixis, modern Nawasa ()), common for Coptic Scalae, rather than a compound name. The modern area Suq al-Laban is located on Didouseya Hill.
The city was also known as Mahalla Daqla (), where second word could be a corruption of Dakahla. whose namesake is mentioned in Demotic sources (). In 1844 the city absorbed both villages.
El Mahalla El Kubra was designated as the capital of Gharbia Governorate in 1320 by Ibn Qalawun, before it was relocated to Tanta in 1836.
thumb|right|President [[Gamal Abdel Nasser|Gamal Abd El Nasser waves to crowds in El Mahalla El Kubra as he departs the city, 1959]]
thumb|right|Protesters took to the street on April 7, 2008, as part of the [[April 6 Youth Movement|6 April movement.]]
2006–11 protests
Over 15,000 protesters clashed with police in El Mahalla in 2006, following the publication of a cartoon mocking Islam in Denmark.
Later in 2006 textile workers struck to protest market reforms, demanding better living conditions. Images of protesters in Mahalla overturning billboards of Mubarak were viewed by some Egyptians as a turning point in Egyptian politics, according to The Washington Post.
In 2011, protests in Mahalla contributed to the collapse of the Mubarak dictatorship. The Misr workers were joined by workers from seven other textile factories in the region, and strikes also broke out among doctors and health workers, university workers, and ceramics workers in other parts of Egypt. On December 7, the city declared itself autonomous from Egypt, as workers and students, declaring themselves independent from the "Muslim Brotherhood State", cut rail lines and blocked entrances to the city. Protesters stormed the city council and announced their intentions to replace it with a revolutionary council.
Buildings and structures
El Mahalla El Kubra contains Misr Spinning and Weaving Company, the largest cotton manufacturing company in Egypt, and the clock of Big Ben is made by this company.
Economy
El Mahalla El Kubra is home to the largest public sector Egyptian textile company, the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company, employing over 27,000 workers.
Sport
The city has two football teams: Ghazl Al-Mehalla and Baladeyet Al-Mahalla.
Notable people
- Mahmoud Mokhtar, a legendary Egyptian sculptor
- Salah Zulfikar, legendary actor
- Cyril of Alexandria, Patriarch of Alexandria from 412 to 444
- Ahmed Elmohamady, Egyptian Footballer
- Shawky Gharieb, former footballer and coach
- Mohamed Elneny, footballer
- Reham Abdel Ghafour, actress
See also
- List of cities and towns in Egypt
- April 6 Youth Movement