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Template:Infobox Israel municipality Eilat (Template:Lang-he-n (audio)) is Israel's southernmost city, a busy port as well as a popular resort, located at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on the Gulf of Eilat. Home to 65,000 people, the city is part of the Southern Negev Desert, at the southern end of the Arava. The city is adjacent to the Egyptian village of Taba to the south, the Jordanian port city of Aqaba to the east, and within sight of Saudi Arabia to the south-east, across the gulf.

Eilat's arid desert climate is moderated by proximity to a warm sea. Temperatures often exceed 40 °C (104 °F) in summer, and 21 °C (70 °F) in winter, while water temperatures range between 20 and 26 °C (68 and 79 °F). The city's beaches, nightlife and desert landscapes make it a popular destination for domestic and international tourism.

Archaeology and history

Despite harsh conditions, the region supported large populations as far back as 8,000 BCE.

Beginning in 1861 ancient sites have been recorded throughout the region, but to date only around 7% of the area has undergone a detailed archaeological survey with around 1500 ancient sites recorded in a 1,200-square-kilometre (460 sq mi) area. In contrast to the gaps found in settlement periods in the neighbouring Negev Highlands and Sinai, these sites show continuous settlement for the past 10,000 years.

The geology and landscape are varied: igneous and metamorphic rocks, sandstone and limestone; mountains up to 892 metres (2,927 ft) above sea level; broad valleys such as the Arava, and seashore on the Gulf of Aqaba. With an annual average rainfall of 28 millimetres (1.1 in) and summer temperatures of 40 °C (104 °F) and higher, water resources and vegetation are limited. "The main elements that influenced the region's history were the copper resources and other minerals, the ancient international roads that crossed the area, and its geopolitical and strategic position. These resulted in a settlement density that defies the environmental conditions." In Tel-Al-Chleifa , near the border between Eilat and Akaba where founded the remains and walls from the Kingdom of Israel and imprint from king Yotham. The archeologist Nelson Glueck discovered here a fortress from 900 BCA.

Early settlement

The original settlement was probably Eilat at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Glueck found walls from the Kingdom of Israel

Archaeological excavations uncovered impressive prehistoric tombs dating to the 7th millennium BCE at the western edge of Eilat, while nearby copper workings and mining operations at Timna Valley are the oldest on earth. Ancient Egyptian records also document the extensive and lucrative mining operations and trade across the Red Sea with Egypt starting as early as the Fourth dynasty of Egypt.

Eilat is mentioned in antiquity as a major trading partner with Elim, Thebes' Red Sea Port, as early as the Twelfth dynasty of Egypt. Trade between Elim and Eilat furnished Frankincense and Myrrh, brought up from Ethiopia and Punt; Bitumen and Natron, from the Dead Sea; finely woven Linen, from Byblos; and copper amulets, from Timnah; all mentioned in the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.

In antiquity Eilat bordered the states of Edom, Midian and the tribal territory of the Rephidim, the indigenous inhabitants of the Sinai.

Biblical references

Eilat is first mentioned in the Bible in the Book of Exodus in the stations. The first six stations of the Exodus are in Egypt. The 7th is the crossing of the Red Sea and The 9th-13th are in and around Eilat after they have left Egypt and crossed the Red Sea. Station 12 refers to a dozen campsites in and around Timna in Modern Israel near Eilat. When King David conquered Edom, which up to then had been a common border of Edom and Midian, he took over Eilat, the border city shared by them as well. The commercial port city and copper based industrial center were maintained by Egypt until reportedly rebuilt by Solomon at a location known as Ezion-Geber (I Kings 9:26).

In 2 Kings 14:21-22: "And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah. He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept among his fathers." And again in 2 Kings 16:6: "At that time Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath to Aram, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Edomites came to Elath, and dwelt there, unto this day".

Roman and Muslim periods

During the Roman period a road was built to link the area with the Nabataean city of Petra (modern-day Jordan). The remains of a large copper smelting and trading community which flourished during the Ummayad Period (700-900 CE) were also found between what is now Eilat's industrial zone and nearby Kibbutz Eilot. The Darb el Hajj or "Pilgrim's Road", from Africa through Egypt to Mecca, passed out of Sinai from the west at Eilat before skirting the sea and continuing south into Arabia.

Since Israeli independence

The area of Eilat was designated as part of the Jewish state in the 1947 UN Partition Plan. During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War an old Ottoman police station, called Umm Rashrash in Arabic, was taken without a fight on March 10, 1949 as part of Operation Uvda, in which both the Negev and Golani Brigades participated. (Only one of Umm Rashrash 's mud-brick buildings remains standing, in a tiny park.) Having forgotten to bring an Israeli flag with them, the Negev Brigade soldiers improvised and raised the "Ink Flag" in order to claim for Israel the area upon which Eilat would be constructed. The Timna Copper Mines near Timna valley were opened, a port was constructed, the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline laid, and tourists began visiting.

The Port of Eilat became vital to the fledgling country's development. After the 1948 Arab–Israeli War Arab countries maintained a state of hostility with Israel, blocking all land routes; Israel's access to and trade with the rest of the world was by air and sea alone. Further, Egypt denied passage through the Suez Canal to Israeli-registered ships or to any ship carrying cargo to or from Israeli ports. This made Eilat and its sea port crucial to Israel's communications, commerce and trade with Africa and Asia, and for oil imports. Without recourse to a port on the Red Sea Israel would have been unable to develop its diplomatic, cultural and trade ties beyond the Mediterranean basin and Europe. This happened in 1956 and again in 1967, when Egypt's closure of the Straits of Tiran to Israeli shipping effectively blockaded the port of Eilat. In 1956, this led to Israel's participation alongside the U.K. and France in the war against Egypt sparked by the Suez Crisis, while in 1967 it was cited by Israel as an additional casus belli leading to the outbreak of the Six-Day War.

Open borders

Following peace treaties signed with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, Eilat's borders with its neighbors were finally opened. In 2007, over 200 Sudanese refugees from Egypt who arrived in Israel illegally on foot were given work and allowed to stay in Eilat. Eilat's population includes a large number of foreign workers, estimated at over 10,000, working as caregivers, hotel workers and in the construction trades.

Transportation

Eilat is connected to the rest of Israel and internationally by air, road and sea.

• Eilat Airport is located in the city centre and is used largely for domestic flights (IATA: ETH, ICAO: LLET).
• International flights often use Ovda International Airport some 50 kilometres (31 mi) northwest of the city(IATA: VDA, ICAO: LLOV).

Eilat has two main roads connecting it with the center of Israel.

• Egged, the national bus company, provides regular service to points north on an almost hourly basis as well as in-city on a half-hourly basis during daylight hours.
• There are two main border crossings: the Taba Border Crossing to Taba, Egypt and Wadi Araba Crossing to Aqaba, Jordan, re-named the Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing on the Israeli side. The Port of Eilat and Eilat Marina allow travel by sea. Near-term plans also call for a rail link to substantially decrease travel times from Eilat to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, via the existing line at Beer Sheba; planning is underway.

Economy

In the 1970s tourism became increasingly important to the city's economy as other industries shut down or were drastically reduced. Today tourism is the city's major source of income, although Eilat became a free trade zone in 1985.

Tourism

Eilat offers a wide range of accommodations, from hostels and luxury hotels to Bedouin hospitality. Attractions include:

• Birdwatching and ringing station: Eilat is located on the main migration route between Africa and Europe.
• Camel tours.
• Coral Beach Nature Reserve, an underwater marine reserve of tropical marine flora and fauna.
• Coral World Underwater Observatory - Located at the southern tip of Coral Beach, the observatory has aquaria, a museum, simulation rides, and shark, turtle and stingray tanks.
• Diving: Skin and SCUBA diving, with equipment for hire on or near all major beaches. Scuba diving equipment rental and compressed air are available from diving clubs and schools all year round.
• Dolphin Reef - A marine biology and research station where visitors can swim and interact with dolphins.
• Freefall parachuting.
• Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve, established in the 1960s to conserve endangered species, including Biblical animals, from this and similar regions. The reserve has a Visitors Center, care and treatment enclosures, and large open area where desert animals are acclimated before re-introduction into the wild. Hai-Bar efforts have successfully re-introduced the Asian Wild Ass, or Onager, into the Negev. The Hai-Bar Nature Reserve and animal re-introduction program were described in Bill Clark's book "High Hills and Wild Goats: Life Among the Animals of the Hai-Bar Wildlife Refuge". The book also describes life in Eilat and the surrounding area.

• IMAX theatre.
• Kings City, a biblical theme park located in the hotel area next to the Stella Maris Lagoon.
• Marina with some 250 yacht berths.
• Timna Valley Park - the oldest copper mines in the world. Egyptian temple of Hathor, King Solomon's Pillars sandstone formation, ancient pit mines and rock art.
• "What's Up" the Observatory in Eilat, a portable Astronomical Observatory with programs in the desert and on the promenade.

Twin towns

• Antibes, France
• Juan-les-Pins, France
• Arica, Chile
• Durban, South Africa
• Smolyan, Bulgaria
• Kamen, Germany
• Kampen, Netherlands
• Toronto, Canada
• Los Angeles, United States
• Ushuaia, Argentina
• Piešťany, Slovakia
• Sopron, Hungary

Eilat has streets named after Durban, Kamen, Kampen and Los Angeles as well as a Canada Park.

Climate

Eilat has a Desert climate with torridly and dry summers and warm and almost rainless winters (BWh in Köppen climate classification). Rains come in poor amounts and temperatures are high in the whole year. Winters are usually between 11 °C (52 °F) to 23 °C (73 °F). Summers are usually between 25 °C (77 °F) to 39 °C (100 °F).

See also

• Eilat (destroyer)
• Eilot (kibbutz)
• Eilat Airport
• Eilat International Film Festival
• Red Sea Jazz Festival
• Eilat bakery bombing
• Operation Ovda
• Port of Eilat
• Taba Border Crossing
• Hapoel Eilat B.C.
• Yotvata Airfield
• Eilat stone

References

1. "Table 3 - Population of Localities Numbering Above 1,000 Residents and Other Rural Population" (PDF). Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
2. Avner, U. 2008. Eilat Region. In, A. Stern (ed.). The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavation in the Holy Land, Volume 5 (Supplementary). Jerusalem. 1704-1711.
3. Nelson Glueck(1959). Rivers in the Desert. HUC. ISBN
4. Dr. Muhammed Abdul Nayeem, (1990). Prehistory and Protohistory of the Arabian Peninsula. Hyderabad. ISBN.
5. Michael Rice(1990). Egypt's Making. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-06454-6.
6. "Timna Copper Mines homepage".
7. Jonathan Saul, Elana Ringler for Reuters (2007). "Sudanese refugees in Israel face uncertainty". Boston Globe. Retrieved October 29, 2007. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help); Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
8. Joshua Mitnick (2006). "Sudan's "Genocide" Lands at Israel's Door". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved October 29, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
9. Neta Sela (2007). "Israel must reject Darfur refugees, rabbi says". Ynet News - Jewish World. Retrieved October 29, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
10. Israel Airports Authority (2007). "Eilat Airport". Israel Airports Authority. Retrieved November 16, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
11. Israel Airports Authority (2007). "Ovda Airport". Israel Airports Authority. Retrieved November 16, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
12. Maltz, Judy (1989-01-12). "Eilat turns to industry to complement tourism trade". The Jerusalem Post. p. 9. Retrieved 2007-10-30.
13. Coral World (2005). "The Underwater Observatory Marine Park, Eilat". Coral World. Retrieved November 16, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
14. The Dolphin Reef Eilat (2007). "The Freedom To Choose". The Dolphin Reef Eilat. Retrieved October 29, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
15. ^ The Red Sea Desert (2007). "Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve". The Red Sea Desert. Retrieved November 16, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help) Cite error: The named reference "Hai" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
16. Kings City (2007). "Kings City, Eilat". Kings City. Retrieved November 16, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
17. BiblePlaces.com (2007). "Timna Valley". BiblePlaces.com. Retrieved November 16, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |dateformat= ignored (help)
18. "What's Up" Observatory in Eilat
19. ^ "Eilat Sister Cities". Israel-Times.com. 2007-11-07. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
20. "What we do: Humanitarian Aid". Israel MFA. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
21. "Facts about Durban". 2003-09-07. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
22. "Municipal Smolyan". Retrieved 2007-12-16.
23. "Weiterführende Informationen: Städtepartnerschaften". Israel MFA. Retrieved 2007-12-16.
24. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. "Monthly Average of Daily Maximum and Minimum Temperature" (PDF). Statistical Abstract of Israel 2006. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.
25. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics. "Precipitation" (PDF). Statistical Abstract of Israel 2006. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.
26. "Average Conditions - Eilat, Israel". BBC News. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |accessdate2= ignored (help)

External links

• Official city site Template:He icon
• Eilat Tourism site
• Go Visit Israel: Eilat
• Eilat International Film Festival
• Eilat Tourist directory
• A film about Eilat in 1960 commentary Template:He icon
• Dolphin Reef Eilat
• Photos of Eilat
• Coral Beach in southern Eilat
• Tourism city guide site
• Eilat Today, a magazine of current affairs

v t e Southern District of Israel
Cities	Arad Ashdod Ashkelon Beersheba Dimona Eilat Kiryat Gat Kiryat Malakhi Netivot Ofakim Rahat Sderot
Local councils	Ar'arat an-Naqab Hura Kuseife Lakiya Lehavim Meitar Mitzpe Ramon Omer Shaqib al-Salam Tel as-Sabi Yeruham
Regional councils	al-Kasom Be'er Tuvia Bnei Shimon Central Arava Eshkol Hevel Eilot Hof Ashkelon Lakhish Merhavim Neve Midbar Ramat HaNegev Sdot Negev (Azata) Sha'ar HaNegev Shafir Tamar Yoav
See also	Beersheba metropolitan area Negev Arabah
Other sub-divisions: Central District Haifa District Jerusalem District Judea and Samaria Area Northern District Tel Aviv District

• Eilat
• Spa towns in Israel
• Egypt–Israel border crossings
• Israel–Jordan border crossings
• Tourism in Israel