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Eilat ( , ; he, אֵילַת ; ar, إِيلَات, Īlāt) is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of , a busy port and popular
resort A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...
at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba. The city is considered a tourist destination for domestic and international tourists heading to Israel. Eilat is part of the Southern Negev Desert, at the southern end of the Arabah, adjacent to the Egyptian resort city of Taba to the south, the Jordanian port city of Aqaba to the east, and within sight of
Haql , nickname = , settlement_type = , motto = , image_skyline = Al Haql R01.jpg , imagesize = 300 px , image_caption = Haql seen from the sea, with the Midian Mountains in the ba ...
, Saudi Arabia, across the gulf to the southeast. Eilat's arid desert climate and low humidity are moderated by proximity to a warm sea. Temperatures often exceed in summer, and in winter, while water temperatures range between . Eilat averages 360 sunny days a year.


Name

The name ''Eilat'' was given to ''Umm al-Rashrāsh'' () in 1949 by the Committee for the Designation of Place-Names in the Negev. The name refers to Elath, a location mentioned in the Hebrew Bible that is thought to be located across the border in modern Jordan. The committee acknowledged that Biblical Eilat/Elath was across the border; one committee member, Yeshayahu Press, justified the co-opting of the name by stating "when the real Eilat finally is in our hands, our settlement will expand and reach over to there."


Geography

The geology and landscape are varied: igneous and metamorphic rocks, sandstone and limestone; mountains up to
above sea level Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''. The comb ...
; broad valleys such as the Arava, and seashore on the Gulf of Aqaba. With an annual average rainfall of and summer temperatures of and higher,
water resources Water resources are natural resources of water that are potentially useful for humans, for example as a source of drinking water supply or irrigation water. 97% of the water on the Earth is salt water and only three percent is fresh water; slight ...
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."


History

. The mound shown on the 1822 map as "Ruines d'Elana" is today known as Tell el-Kheleifeh, speculated to be Biblical Ezion-Geber; it is shown on the Israeli map as he, עֶצְיֹן גֶּבֶר, lit= Ezion-Geber. The mountain peak named "Gebel Gatal Mahamar" in 1822 is named he, הַר שְׁלֹמֹה, lit= Mount Solomon in the Israeli map , image1 = 1822 Rüppell map of the Gulf of Aqaba with modern borders.jpg , caption1 = 1822 (
Eduard Rüppell Wilhelm Peter Eduard Simon Rüppell (20 November 1794 – 10 December 1884) was a German Natural history, naturalist and List of explorers, explorer. Rüppell is occasionally transliterated to "Rueppell" for the English alphabet, due to german ort ...
) , width1 = , image2 = Survey of Palestine 1942-1958 1-100,000 24Eilat (cropped).jpg , caption2 = 1952-58 ( Survey of Israel) , width2 = , direction = horizontal , width = 420 , image_gap =


Early history

Archaeological excavations In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
uncovered impressive prehistoric tombs dating to the 7th millennium BC at the western edge of Eilat, while nearby copper workings and mining operations at Timna Valley are the oldest on earth. An Islamic copper smelting and trading community of 250–400 residents flourished in the area during the Umayyad Period (700–900 CE); its remains were found and excavated in 1989, at the northern edge of modern Eilat, between what is now the industrial zone and nearby
Kibbutz A kibbutz ( he, קִבּוּץ / , lit. "gathering, clustering"; plural: kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1909, was Degania. Today, farming h ...
Eilot Eilot ( he, אֵילוֹת; is the southernmost kibbutz in Israel. It is located in the Arabah, Aravah valley, near the border with Jordan. Eilot is less than a kilometer north of Eilat, and just over 3 kilometers north of the Red Sea. It falls ...
.


Modern city

During the British Mandate era, a British police post existed in the area, which was known as ''Umm Al-Rashrash''. The area was designated as part of the Jewish state in the
1947 UN Partition Plan The United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine was a proposal by the United Nations, which recommended a partition of Mandatory Palestine at the end of the British Mandate. On 29 November 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted the Plan as Re ...
. During the
1948 Arab-Israeli War Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The Constitution of New Jersey (later subject to amendment) goes into effect. ** The railways of Britain are nationalized, to form British ...
, the abandoned police post, which consisted of five clay huts, was taken without a fight on March 10, 1949, as part of Operation Uvda. This marked the end of Israel's war for independence. The town developed over the following years.
Eilat Airport Eilat Airport ( he, שְׂדֵה הַתְּעוּפָה אֵילַת, Namal HaTe'ufa Eilat; ar, مطار إيلات ), also known as J. Hozman Airport, was an airport located in Eilat, Israel. It was named after Arkia Airlines founder Yakov Ho ...
was built in 1949 and individual ships began arriving in the 1950s, but as there were no dedicated port facilities they unloaded their goods at sea. In the early 1950s, Eilat was a small and remote town, populated largely by port workers, soldiers, and former prisoners. The town's development accelerated in 1955, when it had a population of about 500. The Timna Copper Mines near the Timna Valley and the Port of Eilat were opened that year and concerted effort by the Israeli government to populate Eilat began, starting with Jewish immigrant families from Morocco being resettled there. Eilat began to develop rapidly after the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
in 1956, with its tourism industry in particular starting to flourish. The Israeli Navy's Eilat naval base was founded that year. The town's population grew to 5,300 in 1961.
Yoseftal Medical Center Yoseftal Medical Center ( he, הַמֶּרְכָּז הָרְפוּאִי יוֹסֵפְטַל) is a hospital in Eilat, Israel. Yoseftal Hospital, founded in 1968, is the southernmost hospital in Israel and the only hospital covering the southern ...
and the
Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline The Trans-Israel pipeline ( he, קו צינור אילת אשקלון), also Tipline, Eilat–Ashkelon Pipeline, or Europe–Asia Pipeline is an oil pipeline in Israel extending from the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It ...
were completed in 1968, and the population increased further, reaching 13,100 in 1972 and 18,900 in 1983.After the
1948 Arab–Israeli War The 1948 (or First) Arab–Israeli War was the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. It formally began following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine at midnight on 14 May 1948; the Israeli Declaration of Independence had ...
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 The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
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 The straits of Tiran ( ar, مضيق تيران ') are the narrow sea passages between the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas that connect the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea. The distance between the two peninsulas is about . The Multinational Force an ...
to Israeli shipping effectively blockaded the port of Eilat. In 1956, this led to Israel's participation alongside Britain and France in the war against Egypt sparked by the
Suez Crisis The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
, while in 1967 90% of Israeli oil passed through the Straits of Tiran. Oil tankers that were due to pass through the straits were delayed. The straits' closure was cited by Israel as an additional ''
casus belli A (; ) is an act or an event that either provokes or is used to justify a war. A ''casus belli'' involves direct offenses or threats against the nation declaring the war, whereas a ' involves offenses or threats against its ally—usually one b ...
'' leading to the outbreak of the Six-Day War. Following
peace treaties A peace treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which formally ends a state of war between the parties. It is different from an armistice, which is an agreement to stop hostilities; a surre ...
signed with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994, Eilat's borders with its neighbors were finally opened.


Israeli–Arab conflict

Eilat is especially defended by its own special forces unit Lotar Eilat. It is a reservist special forces unit of the IDF trained in counter-terrorism and hostage rescue in the Eilat area, which has taken part in many counter-terrorist missions in the region since its formation in 1974. The Lotar unit is composed solely of reservists, citizens who must be Eilat residents between the ages of 20 and 60, who are on call in case of a terrorist attack on the city. It is one of only three units in the IDF authorized to free hostages on its own command. In 2007 the
Eilat bakery bombing The Eilat bakery bombing occurred on 29 January 2007 when a Palestinian suicide bomber from the Gaza Strip infiltrated the northern suburbs of Eilat, Israel. Upon seeing the police approaching, he entered a neighbourhood bakery and detonated hi ...
killed three civilian bakers. This was the first such attack in Eilat proper, although other terror attacks had been carried out in the area. In 2011, terrorists infiltrated Israel across the
Sinai Sinai commonly refers to: * Sinai Peninsula, Egypt * Mount Sinai, a mountain in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt * Biblical Mount Sinai, the site in the Bible where Moses received the Law of God Sinai may also refer to: * Sinai, South Dakota, a place ...
border to execute multiple attacks on Highway 12, including a civilian bus and private car a few miles north of Eilat, in what became known as the
2011 southern Israel cross-border attacks On August 18, 2011, a series of cross-border attacks with parallel attacks and mutual cover was carried out in southern Israel on Highway 12 near the Egyptian border by a squad of presumably 12 militants in four groups. The attacks occurred a ...
. In order to prevent terrorist infiltration of Israel from the Sinai, Israel has built the Egypt–Israel barrier, a steel barrier equipped with cameras, radar and motion sensors along the country's southern border. The fence was completed in January 2013.


Future development plans

In July 2012, Israel signed an agreement with China to cooperate in building the
high-speed railway to Eilat The High-speed railway to Eilat (Med-Red) is a proposed Israeli railway that will enable the connection of the main Israeli population centers and Mediterranean ports to the southern city of Eilat on the Red Sea coast, as well as serve commercial ...
, a railway line which will serve both passenger and freight trains. It will link Eilat with Beersheba and Tel Aviv, and will run through the Arava Valley and Nahal Zin. The former
Eilat Airport Eilat Airport ( he, שְׂדֵה הַתְּעוּפָה אֵילַת, Namal HaTe'ufa Eilat; ar, مطار إيلات ), also known as J. Hozman Airport, was an airport located in Eilat, Israel. It was named after Arkia Airlines founder Yakov Ho ...
was closed on 18 March 2019 after the opening of
Ramon Airport Ramon Airport ( he, נמל התעופה רמון, Arabic: مطار رامون) , named after Ilan and Asaf Ramon and unofficially also known as Eilat-Ramon Airport, is an international airport located in the Timna Valley in southern Israel. Ram ...
. The land occupied by the former airport is to be redeveloped. The new Ramon Airport opened in January 2019, north of Eilat and replaced both Eilat Airport and the civilian use of
Ovda Airport Ovda Airport is a military air base and former Joint-use airport, joint-use civilian airport in the Uvda (Israel), Uvda region of southern Israel, about north of Eilat. It was the country's second international airport. Ovda was originally bui ...
. Hotels and apartment buildings, containing a total of 2,080 hotel rooms and 1,000 apartments will be constructed on the site, as well as 275
dunam A dunam ( Ottoman Turkish, Arabic: ; tr, dönüm; he, דונם), also known as a donum or dunum and as the old, Turkish, or Ottoman stremma, was the Ottoman unit of area equivalent to the Greek stremma or English acre, representing the amount ...
s of public space and pedestrian paths. The plans also set aside space for the railway line and an underground railway station. The plan's goal is to create an urban continuum between the city center and North Beach, as well as tighten the links between the city's neighborhoods, which were separated by the airport. In addition, there are plans to move the Port of Eilat and the
Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline The Trans-Israel pipeline ( he, קו צינור אילת אשקלון), also Tipline, Eilat–Ashkelon Pipeline, or Europe–Asia Pipeline is an oil pipeline in Israel extending from the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It ...
terminal to the northern part of the city, as well as to turn it into a university town of science and research, and brand it an international sports city. All these projects are part of a plan to increase Eilat's population to 150,000 people and build 35,000 hotel rooms.


Climate

Eilat has a hot desert climate (BWh with hot, dry summers and warm and almost rainless winters in Köppen climate classification). Winters are usually between . Summers are usually between . There are relatively small coral reefs near Eilat; however, 50 years ago they were much larger.


Demographics

The overwhelming majority of Eilat's population are Jews. Arabs constitute about 4% of the population. 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. Eilat also has a growing
Israeli Arab The Arab citizens of Israel are the largest ethnic minority in the country. They comprise a hybrid community of Israeli citizens with a heritage of Palestinian citizenship, mixed religions (Muslim, Christian or Druze), bilingual in Arabic an ...
population, as well as many affluent Jordanians and
Egyptians Egyptians ( arz, المَصرِيُون, translit=al-Maṣriyyūn, ; arz, المَصرِيِين, translit=al-Maṣriyyīn, ; cop, ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ, remenkhēmi) are an ethnic group native to the Nile, Nile Valley in Egypt. Egyptian ...
who visit Eilat in the summer months. In 2007, over 200 Sudanese refugees from Egypt who arrived in Israel illegally on foot were given work and allowed to stay in Eilat.


Education

The educational system of Eilat accommodates more than 9,000 youngsters in eight day-care centers, 67 pre-kindergartens and kindergartens, 10 elementary schools, and 3 six-year high schools. Also, there are some special-education schools and religious schools. Ben Gurion University of the Negev maintains a campus in Eilat. The Eilat branch has 1,100 students, about 75 percent from outside the city. In 2010, a new student dormitory was funded and built by the Jewish Federation of Toronto, the Rashi Foundation, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and the municipality of Eilat. The
SPNI Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel ( he, החברה להגנת הטבע, ''HaHevra LeHaganat HaTeva''), or SPNI, is an Israeli non-profit environmental organization working to preserve plants, animals, and natural environments that repr ...
's Eilat Field School on the outskirts of Eilat offers special hiking tours that focus on desert ecology, the Red Sea,
bird migration Bird migration is the regular seasonal movement, often north and south along a flyway, between breeding and wintering grounds. Many species of bird migrate. Migration carries high costs in predation and mortality, including from hunting by ...
and other aspects of Eilat's flora and fauna. The
Hesder Yeshiva Hesder ( he, הסדר "arrangement"; also Yeshivat Hesder ) is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework. The program allo ...
Ayelet Hashachar, is based in Eilat, established in 1997.


Healthcare

Yoseftal Medical Center Yoseftal Medical Center ( he, הַמֶּרְכָּז הָרְפוּאִי יוֹסֵפְטַל) is a hospital in Eilat, Israel. Yoseftal Hospital, founded in 1968, is the southernmost hospital in Israel and the only hospital covering the southern ...
, established in 1968, is Israel's southernmost hospital, and the only hospital covering the southern Negev. With 65 beds, the hospital is Israel's smallest. Special services geared to the Red Sea region are a hyperbaric chamber to treat victims of diving accidents and
kidney dialysis Kidney dialysis (from Greek , , 'dissolution'; from , , 'through', and , , 'loosening or splitting') is the process of removing excess water, solutes, and toxins from the blood in people whose kidneys can no longer perform these functions natura ...
facilities open to vacationing tourists.


Transportation


Air

Since 2019,
Ramon International Airport Ramon Airport ( he, נמל התעופה רמון, Arabic: مطار رامون) , named after Ilan and Asaf Ramon and unofficially also known as Eilat-Ramon Airport, is an international airport located in the Timna Valley in southern Israel. Ra ...
has handled commercial domestic and international flights to Eilat (
IATA The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
: ETM,
ICAO The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...
: LLER).


Former airports

*
Eilat Airport Eilat Airport ( he, שְׂדֵה הַתְּעוּפָה אֵילַת, Namal HaTe'ufa Eilat; ar, مطار إيلات ), also known as J. Hozman Airport, was an airport located in Eilat, Israel. It was named after Arkia Airlines founder Yakov Ho ...
is located in the city centre and was used largely for domestic flights (IATA: ETH, ICAO: LLET). The former site is to be
redeveloped Redevelopment is any new construction on a site that has pre-existing uses. It represents a process of land development uses to revitalize the physical, economic and social fabric of Urban area, urban space. Description Variations on redevelopme ...
. * International flights often used Ovda International Airport some northwest of the city (IATA: VDA, ICAO: LLOV). While no civilian flights use the airport any longer, it remains in use as a military airbase and for
aircraft storage Aircraft recycling is the process of scrapping and disassembling retired aircraft, and re-purposing their parts as spare parts or scrap. Airplanes are made of around 800 to 1000 parts that can be recycled, with the majority of them made from meta ...
.


Road

Eilat has two main roads connecting it with the center of Israel - Route 12, which leads North West, and Route 90 which leads North East, and South West to the border crossing with Egypt.


Bus

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. In part due to the comparatively long travel times, there are different booking procedures for buses to Eilat, including the option of advance reservations.


Border crossings with Egypt and Jordan

* The
Taba Border Crossing The Taba Border Crossing also known as the Menachem Begin Crossing ( ar, معبر طابا, he, מעבר מנחם בגין formerly he, מעבר טאבה) is an international border crossing between Taba (Egypt), Taba, Egypt, and Eilat, Israel ...
allows crossing to and from Taba, Egypt. * The Wadi Araba Crossing, renamed the Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing on the Israeli side, allows crossing to and from Aqaba, Jordan.


Maritime

The Port of Eilat and Eilat Marina allow travel by sea.


Rail

Future plans also call for a rail link, sometimes referred to as the Med-Red to decrease travel times substantially from Eilat to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, via the existing line at Beer Sheba; planning is underway. As of 2021 Dimona railway station is the southernmost passenger train station in Israel.


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 The Bedouin, Beduin, or Bedu (; , singular ) are nomadic Arab tribes who have historically inhabited the desert regions in the Arabian Peninsula, North Africa, the Levant, and Mesopotamia. The Bedouin originated in the Syrian Desert and A ...
hospitality. In recent years Eilat has been the target of militants from Egypt and Gaza causing a reduced tourist inflow to the region. Attractions include: * Birdwatching and ringing station: Eilat is located on the main migration route between Africa and Europe. International Birding & Research Center in Eilat. *
Camel A camel (from: la, camelus and grc-gre, κάμηλος (''kamēlos'') from Hebrew or Phoenician: גָמָל ''gāmāl''.) is an even-toed ungulate in the genus ''Camelus'' that bears distinctive fatty deposits known as "humps" on its back. C ...
tours *
Coral Beach Nature Reserve Corals are marine invertebrates within the class Anthozoa of the phylum Cnidaria. They typically form compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Coral species include the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secre ...
, an underwater marine reserve of tropical marine flora and fauna *
Coral World Underwater Observatory Eilat's Coral World Underwater Observatory is a public aquarium, park and conservation center located in Eilat, Israel. It is the biggest public aquarium in Israel, and it hosts over 800 species. It was founded in 1974 and was the first of its ...
, located at the southern tip of Coral Beach, it has aquaria, a museum, simulation rides, and shark, turtle, and
stingray Stingrays are a group of sea rays, which are cartilaginous fish related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae (sixgill stingray), Plesiobatidae ( ...
tanks. The observatory is the biggest public aquarium in the Middle East. *
Dolphin Reef Dolphin Reef is a horseshoe-shaped sea-pen where bottlenose dolphins in the Gulf of Eilat in the northern-eastern Red Sea near the city of Eilat in southern Israel swim in and out of. It is a major tourist attraction in this area. History The D ...
, a marine biology and research station where visitors can swim and interact with dolphins *Freefall
parachuting Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes. For ...
. *
Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve The Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve is a breeding and reacclimation center administered by the Israel Nature Reserves & National Parks Authority, situated in the Southern Arava near Yotvata. The Yotvata Hai-Bar is the desert counterpart of t ...
, established in the 1960s to conserve
endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...
, 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. *
Marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...
, with some 250 yacht berths *
Timna Valley Park The Timna Valley (תִּמְנָע, ) is located in southern Israel in the southwestern Arava/Arabah, approximately north of the Gulf of Aqaba and the city of Eilat. The area is rich in copper ore and has been mined since the 5th millennium ...
, the oldest copper mines in the world; Egyptian temple of Hathor, King Solomon's Pillars sandstone formation, ancient pit mines and
rock art In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...
*"What's Up", a portable astronomical
observatory An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial, marine, or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geophysical, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed. His ...
with programs in the desert and on the promenade *Ice Mall, ice skating rink and shopping mall


Dive tourism

Skin and scuba diving equipment is for hire on or near all major beaches. Scuba diving equipment rental and
compressed air Compressed air is air kept under a pressure that is greater than atmospheric pressure. Compressed air is an important medium for transfer of energy in industrial processes, and is used for power tools such as air hammers, drills, wrenches, and o ...
are available from diving clubs and schools all year round. Eilat is located in the Gulf of Aqaba, one of the most popular diving destinations in the world. The coral reefs along Eilat's coast remain relatively pristine and the area is recognized as one of the prime diving locations in the world. About 250,000 dives are performed annually in Eilat's coastline, and diving represents 10% of the tourism income of this area. In addition, given the proximity of many of these reefs to the shore, non-divers can encounter the Red Sea's reefs with relative ease. Water conditions for SCUBA divers are good all year round, with water temperatures around , with little or no currents and clear waters with an average of visibility.


Museums

* Eilat City Museum * Eilat Art Gallery


Film

Eilat has been utilized by film and television productions - domestic and foreign - for location shooting since the 1960s, most notably in the early 90s as a tropical locale for season 2 of the Canadian production '' Tropical Heat''. It was also used in the films ''
She She most commonly refers to: *She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English. She or S.H.E. may also refer to: Literature and films *'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...
'', '' Madron'', '' Ashanti'' and ''
Rambo III ''Rambo III'' is a 1988 American action film directed by Peter MacDonald and co-written by Sylvester Stallone, who also reprises his role as Vietnam War veteran John Rambo. A sequel to '' Rambo: First Blood Part II'' (1985), it is the third in ...
''.


Archaeology

Despite harsh conditions, the region has supported large populations as far back as 8,000 BCE. Exploration of ancient sites began in 1861, but only 7% of the area has undergone serious
archaeological excavation In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...
. Some 1,500 ancient sites are located in a 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.


Notable people

*
Shawn Dawson Shawn Dawson ( he, שון דאוסון; born 12 December 1993) is an Israeli professional basketball player for Hapoel Holon of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. He is the son of former basketball player Joe Dawson. He was named the Israel ...
(born 1993), basketball player * Gadi Eizenkot (born 1960), Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces * Eden Harel (born 1976), actress * Amit Ivry (born 1989), Olympic swimmer and national record holder * Keren Karolina Avratz (born 1971), singer, songwriter * Shaul Mofaz (born 1948), former Minister of Defense, former Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces *
Ziki Shaked Ziki Shaked ( he, ציקי שקד; born 1955) is an Israeli captain, sailing instructor, and founder of the school of sailing in Eilat. In 2010–2012, he traveled around the world on his yacht, "Lorraine-D", and joined a small group of Israeli c ...
(born 1955), first Israeli ship's captain to go around the world under the Israeli flag, from Eilat to Eilat *
Shahar Tzuberi Shahar Tzuberi (or Zubari, he, שחר צוברי; born September 1, 1986) is an Israeli windsurfer and Olympic bronze medalist, surfing in the "Neil Pryde" RS:X discipline. He is a nephew of Gad Tsobari, the 1972 Olympic wrestler who escaped fr ...
(born 1986), Israeli Olympic bronze-medal-winning windsurfer, 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing * Raviv Ullman (born 1986),
Israeli-American , native_name_lang = , image = , caption = , population = 110,000–150,000 , popplace = New York metropolitan area, Los Angeles metropolitan area, Miami metropolitan area, and other large metropolitan are ...
actor, musician *
Ghil'ad Zuckermann Ghil'ad Zuckermann ( he, גלעד צוקרמן, ; ) is an Israeli-born language revivalist and linguist who works in contact linguistics, lexicology and the study of language, culture and identity. Zuckermann is Professor of Linguistics and Ch ...
(born 1971), linguist, with a focus on language revitalization


Twin towns – sister cities

Eilat is twinned with: *
Acapulco Acapulco de Juárez (), commonly called Acapulco ( , also , nah, Acapolco), is a city and major seaport in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific Coast of Mexico, south of Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semicircular bay and has bee ...
, Mexico *
Antibes Antibes (, also , ; oc, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal, Antíbol) is a coastal city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department of southeastern France, on the French Riviera, Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Nice. The town of ...
, France * Arica, Chile * Durban, South Africa * Kamen, Germany *
Kampen Campen or Kampen may refer to: Places Finland * Kampen, the Swedish name of Kamppi, a district in Helsinki Germany * Campen, Germany, a village by the Ems estuary, northwestern Germany, home of the Campen Lighthouse * Campen Castle, a part ...
, Netherlands *
Karlovy Vary Karlovy Vary (; german: Karlsbad, formerly also spelled ''Carlsbad'' in English) is a spa town, spa city in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 46,000 inhabitants. It lies on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá. ...
, Czech Republic * Los Angeles, United States * Palanga, Lithuania *
Piešťany Piešťany (; german: Pistyan, hu, Pöstyén, pl, Pieszczany , cs, Píšťany ) is a town in Slovakia. It is located in the western part of the country within the Trnava Region and is the seat of its own district. It is the biggest and best kno ...
, Slovakia * Sopron, Hungary * Sorrento, Italy * Yalta, Ukraine * Yinchuan, China * Ushuaia, Argentina Eilat has streets named after
Antibes Antibes (, also , ; oc, label=Provençal dialect, Provençal, Antíbol) is a coastal city in the Alpes-Maritimes Departments of France, department of southeastern France, on the French Riviera, Côte d'Azur between Cannes and Nice. The town of ...
, Durban, Kamen,
Kampen Campen or Kampen may refer to: Places Finland * Kampen, the Swedish name of Kamppi, a district in Helsinki Germany * Campen, Germany, a village by the Ems estuary, northwestern Germany, home of the Campen Lighthouse * Campen Castle, a part ...
and Los Angeles as well as a Canada Park.


Panoramic views


See also

*
Bnei Eilat F.C. Bnei Eilat Football Club ( he, מועדון כדורגל בני אילת) is an Israeli football club based in Eilat. They are currently in Liga Alef South division. History Bnei Eilat were founded in 2006 and are not related to the football clu ...
*
Eilat Pride Eilat Pride is an annual Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) pride festival that is held in Eilat, Israel. The event was established in 2001. In 2010 there were three assaults on parade goers. See also * Tel Aviv Pride * LGBT rights in ...
*
Eilat Sports Center Eilat Tze'elim Sports Centre is located in the Tze'elim neighbourhood north-west of Eilat, Israel. The building offers approximately 2,000 square meters on two levels. The entry level includes the main basketball court, a stage for performances an ...
* Eilat stone *
Hapoel Eilat B.C. Hapoel Eilat ( he, הפועל אילת), for sponsorship reasons named Hapoel Yossi Avrahami Eilat, is an Israeli basketball club. The team plays in the Israeli Basketball Premier League, the top tier of Israeli basketball. The team represents th ...
*
Operation Ovda Operation Uvda ( he, מבצע עובדה, ''Mivtza Uvda'') was an operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, from March 5 to March 10, 1949. It was the last campaign undertaken by the IDF during the war and ...
*
Red Sea Jazz Festival The Red Sea Jazz Festival is a jazz festival held annually in Eilat, Israel. The Red Sea Jazz Festival was first held in 1987. It is a four-day-long event featuring 9-10 concerts per evening, 6 workshops with guest artists and nightly jam session ...
* Yotvata Airfield


References


External links


Eilat + official tourism website of the city of Eilat

Official city site

Crossing the Israel – Jordan Border

Eilat Tourist directory

A film about Eilat in 1960 commentary

Photos of Eilat



Eilat Today, a magazine of current affairs



Scuba Diving in Eilat with descriptions of dive sites
{{Authority control 1951 establishments in Israel Cities in Southern District (Israel) Hebrew Bible cities Populated places established in 1951 Port cities and towns of the Red Sea Port cities in Israel Spa towns in Israel