It is a large industrial and agricultural city in Egypt, located in the middle of the Nile Delta on the western bank of the Damietta Branch tributary.

The city is known for its textile industry, and hosts the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company which employs around 27,000 people.

[4] An ancient village Sandafa (Arabic: صندفا, Coptic: ⲥⲉⲛⲧⲉϥⲉ) was located south of el-Mahalla.

North of it was a village Hureyn Baharmis (Arabic: هورين بهرمس), the name of which suggests that it was an ancient river-port (Coptic: ⲡϩⲟⲣⲙⲟⲥ, romanized: phormos, lit.

[citation needed] Over 15,000 protesters clashed with police in El Mahalla in 2006, following the publication of a cartoon mocking Islam in Denmark.

[15] Clashes between protesters supporting or opposing the Muslim Brotherhood on November 28 left over 100 people injured.