Tel El-Kabir has many historical ties from the pharaonic times up to the Muhammad Ali Pasha era. It is famous for its mangoes and strawberries. It also has many military sites since the commonwealth forces built a cemetery there for the British soldiers who had died in the First and Second World Wars. The last major battle that took place in Tel El-Kabir was between Ahmed Arabi and his forces and the British forces. The British won the battle and started their occupation of Egypt in 1882.  They arrested Ahmed Arabi and exiled him to the island of Ceylon, which was a British colony at that time, but is now known as Sri Lanka.