The city played a heroic role during the French campaign on Egypt, where the fishermen joined the resistance forces led by the Egyptian leader of the struggle against colonialism in this region, Sheikh Hassan Tobar.

When the French battleships moved from Damietta towards El Matareya to attack, they were surprised by 100 fishermen boats opposing them.

The fishermen of El Matareya played an important role in the digging of the Suez Canal, since they delivered water from the city to the workers in Port Said.

Al-Ahram newspaper published in its issue dated June 26, 1997, a detailed study on the burning of the city by Dr. Younane Labib Rezk.

The streets of the city were very impressive and surprising for visitors since they have been designed and organized perfectly and are almost unique in the world.

Sadat worked on the car that moved from El Matareya to the Suez Canal, delivering arms to guerrillas and men of the revolution.

On December 24, 1961, the city was decorated to receive late President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who came from Port Said in a boat.

These exercises came to fruition, where some fishermen caught an Israeli pilot after they forced him to jump off his plane when they shoot at it.

At 12 noon on November 27, 1979 the helicopter landed in El Matareya carrying President Anwar Sadat and his comrades.

He designed the city streets in a modern way in the form of a game of chess, and which befits its coastal location so that its streets are a draft of fresh sea air, and the French also established the station maritime that connects the city of El Matareya to Port Said and Damietta.

They also created a railway connecting the city of El Matareya to Mansoura, and this line was known as the French diesel.