Arish ϩⲣⲓⲛⲟⲕⲟⲣⲟⲩⲣⲁ El-Arish | |
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 Beach in the city of Arish | |
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  Arish Location within the Sinai Peninsula Show map of Sinai Arish Location within Egypt Show map of Egypt | |
| Coordinates:31°07′55″N33°48′12″E / 31.132072°N 33.803376°E /31.132072; 33.803376 | |
| Country |  Egypt |
| Governorate |  North Sinai |
| Area | |
• Total | 308 km2 (119 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 15 m (49 ft) |
| Population (2023)[1] | |
• Total | 204,391 |
| • Density | 664/km2 (1,720/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Area code | +20 (68) |
Arish orEl-Arish (Egyptian Arabic:العريش,romanized: al-ʿArīš,Egyptian Arabic pronunciation:[elʕæˈɾiːʃ]) is thecapital and largest city of theNorth Sinai Governorate of Egypt, as well as the largest city on theSinai Peninsula, lying on theMediterranean coast 344 kilometres (214 mi) northeast ofCairo and 45 kilometres (28 mi) west of theEgypt–Gaza border. Its estimated population was 204,391 in 2023.[1]
In antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, the city was known asRinokoroura (Ancient Greek:Ῥινοκόρουρα,Coptic:ϩⲣⲓⲛⲟⲕⲟⲣⲟⲩⲣⲁ).[2] ʻArīsh is located at the mouth ofWadi al-Arish, a 250 kilometres (160 mi) longephemeral watercourse. TheAzzaraniq Protectorate is on the eastern side of ʻArīsh.[3]
There are several hypothetical possibilities for the origin of the modern name of the city, which is first mentioned under it in the 9th century. One possibility is that the name might be an Arab phonetic transcription of a pre-existing toponym. However, there is no name that fully qualifies as such, apart from the Ariza (Ancient Greek:Αριζα) ofHierokles, which is difficult to interpret.
Another possibility is that the name el-Arish was given to a city that already existed in theByzantine period. However, no Arab source mentions such a change of name for any city in the region, and there is no plausible explanation for this change.
A third possibility is that the name el-Arish was created when a new settlement of some "huts" (Arabic:عرش,romanized: ʕarš) was established in the7th or8th century. It is possible that the city of Rinokoloura fell into ruins in the first half of the 7th century, and a new community arose that the new inhabitants started to call el-Arish, after their poor living conditions.[4]
M. Ignace de Rossi derived the Arabic name from the Egyptianϫⲟⲣϣⲁ(ⲓ),Jorsha,'noseless', an analogue of Greek Rinocorura.[5]
A Coptic-Arabic colophon dating to1616 mentions the writer "Solomon of Shorpo, son of Michael, from the city of Mohonon" (ⲥⲱⲗⲟⲙⲟⲛ ⲛϣⲱⲣⲡⲟ ⲡϣⲏⲣⲓ ⲙⲓⲭⲁⲏⲗ ⲛⲧⲉ ⲡⲟⲗⲓⲥ ⲙⲟϩⲟⲛⲟⲛ); in the Arabic version, the writer is identified as being "of el-Arish".[6] Timm raises the possibility thatShorpo (Coptic:ϣⲱⲣⲡⲟ) may be another name for el-Arish.
Arish is in the northern Sinai, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from theRafah Border Crossing with theGaza Strip.[7] North Sinai is targeted by Egyptian government planners to divert population growth from the high-densityNile Delta. It is proposed that by completing infrastructure, transportation and irrigation projects, three million Egyptians may be settled in North Sinai.[8]
"Arish is considered part ofBilad al-Sham.[9]
Arish is the closest city toLake Bardawil.
ItsKöppen climate classification ishot desert (BWh), although prevailingMediterranean winds moderate its temperatures, typical to the rest of thenorthern coast of Egypt.
The highest record temperature was 45 °C (113 °F), recorded on May 29, 2003, while the lowest record temperature was −6 °C (21 °F), recorded on January 8, 1994.[10]
| Climate data for Arish | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 30.5 (86.9) | 31.7 (89.1) | 38.1 (100.6) | 41.0 (105.8) | 44.2 (111.6) | 45.0 (113.0) | 38.8 (101.8) | 36.4 (97.5) | 39.2 (102.6) | 38.4 (101.1) | 36.0 (96.8) | 32.6 (90.7) | 45.0 (113.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) | 19.3 (66.7) | 21.3 (70.3) | 25.4 (77.7) | 27.6 (81.7) | 30.4 (86.7) | 31.6 (88.9) | 29.3 (84.7) | 30.2 (86.4) | 28.2 (82.8) | 24.8 (76.6) | 20.5 (68.9) | 25.6 (78.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.6 (54.7) | 13.1 (55.6) | 15.0 (59.0) | 18.4 (65.1) | 21.0 (69.8) | 24.3 (75.7) | 26.0 (78.8) | 26.2 (79.2) | 24.4 (75.9) | 21.8 (71.2) | 17.7 (63.9) | 13.9 (57.0) | 19.5 (67.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 7.6 (45.7) | 7.9 (46.2) | 9.3 (48.7) | 12.1 (53.8) | 14.5 (58.1) | 17.8 (64.0) | 20.2 (68.4) | 19.1 (66.4) | 19.3 (66.7) | 16.3 (61.3) | 12.0 (53.6) | 8.9 (48.0) | 13.7 (56.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) | 0.9 (33.6) | 2.0 (35.6) | 5.6 (42.1) | 8.2 (46.8) | 10.9 (51.6) | 16.3 (61.3) | 15.2 (59.4) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.0 (51.8) | 1.7 (35.1) | 3.0 (37.4) | 0.9 (33.6) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 28 (1.1) | 16 (0.6) | 13 (0.5) | 11 (0.4) | 1 (0.0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 6 (0.2) | 9 (0.4) | 22 (0.9) | 106 (4.2) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 6.1 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 71 | 70 | 71 | 67 | 68 | 68 | 70 | 71 | 73 | 72 | 70 | 72 | 70 |
| Source 1: NOAA[11] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Climate Charts[12] | |||||||||||||
Herodotus describes a city namedIenysos (Ancient Greek:Ιηνυσος) located betweenLake Serbonis andKadytis. It is possible that Ienysos is the predecessor of Rinokoloura, but there is no clear evidence to support this identification.[13]
The foundation of the city is closely linked to the etymology of its name. The explanation given by the classic authors is that it comes from a compound of "nose" (Ancient Greek:ῥίς) and "curtail, cut short" (Ancient Greek:κολούω).
Thus modern scholars, following the version given bySeneca, believe that in the 4th century BC, aPersian king, believed to be eitherArtaxerxes II orArtaxerxes III, conducted a campaign inSyria where he punished people, possibly a tribe, by mutilating their noses. As a result, the places where these people came from or relocated to were given new names that reflected their disfigurement. While the Greek name Rinokoloura may have existed from the outset, it is possible that it was a translation of a name with the same meaning in another language.
When the city became a part of thePtolemaic Empire, an Egyptian tradition emerged that may have transformed the Persian king into anEthiopian king namedActisanes. First mentioned byDiodorus, who based his information on the Aegyptiaca ofHecataeus of Abdera, written in the4th century BC, Actisanes conquered Egypt during the reign of king Amasis. He governed Egypt with justice and benevolence, and instead of executing convicted criminals, he had their noses cut off and relocated them to a city at the desert's edge, near the border between Egypt and Syria.[14]
InPtolemaic Egypt, Rinocoroura was considered the last city of Egypt, on the border withCoele-Syria.
During the second invasion ofAntiochus IV in the spring of168 BCE, an embassy ofPtolemy VI met him near Rinokoloura, which in about79 BCE came under the rule of theJudaean Kingdom ofAlexander Jannaeus, while in40 BCE,Herod I sought refuge in Rinokoloura on his way toPelusium, where he received news of his brother's death.
TheOxyrhynchus papyrus,[clarification needed] traditionally referred to as 'an invocation of Isis' or 'a Greek Isis litany,' is believed to have been transcribed during the reigns ofTrajan orHadrian, but its composition dates back to the late1st century. This text contains numerous invocations ofIsis and mentions Rinokoloura, where she is called 'all-seeing' (Ancient Greek:παντόπτιν).[15]
A number of funerarysteles with a repeated consolation formula "nobody is immortal" (Ancient Greek:ούδείς άθάνατος) were found in and around the city.
The earliest reliable Christian reference to Rinokoloura can be found inAthanasius'sEpistula ad Serapionem, in which Salomon was appointed as bishop of Rinokoloura, possibly in 339 AD.Sozomen also refers to Rinokoloura in the mid-5th century AD, stating that the city was a center of scholarship, with a meditation school (Ancient Greek:φροντιστήριον) located in the desert north of the city, a church illuminated by oil lamps, and an episcopal dwelling where the entire clergy of the city resided and dined together.[16]
Hieronymus reported that in the early 5th century the inhabitants of Rinokoloura and other nearby cities spokeSyrian. However, as most of the epitaphs discovered in the area are written in Greek, and one is in Coptic, it is unclear which segment of the population Hieronymus was referring to.[17]
According toJohn of Nikiu, in 610 AD the army of general Bonosos passed through Rinocoroura (mentioned under the corrupted name Bikuran) on its way toAthribis.[18]
The story ofHesychios of Jerusalem reveals the existence of a wadi near Rinokoloura. In one instance, theSeptuagint (Isaiah 27:12)[19] translates 'thebrook of Egypt,' which designates the southern border of Israel, as Rinokoloura, suggesting that the translators were perhaps aware of a similar 'brook' in the vicinity of the city. However, it appears that the association between Rinokoloura and the 'brook of Egypt' may be due more to the contemporary political border between Egypt and Syria, which had shifted further southward since the 8th century AD.
In theMiddle Ages, pilgrims misidentified the site as theSukkot of theBible.[4] New fortifications were constructed at the original site by theOttoman Empire in 1560. During theNapoleonic Wars, theFrench laid siege to the fort, which fell after 11 days on February 19, 1799.
Theodor Herzl, the founder ofZionism,proposed ʻArīsh as a Jewish homeland since neither SultanAbdul Hamid II nor KaiserWilhelm II supported settlement inPalestine. In 1903,Joseph Chamberlain, the British colonial secretary, agreed to consider ʻArīsh, and Herzl commissioned the lawyerDavid Lloyd George a charter draft, but his application was turned down once an expedition, led byLeopold Kessler had returned and submitted a detailed report to Herzl, which outlined a proposal to divert some of the Nile waters to the area for the purpose of settlement.[20]
DuringWorld War I, the fort was destroyed by British bombers. It was later the location of the 45th Stationary Hospital which treated casualties of thePalestine campaign. The remains of those who died there were later moved toKantara Cemetery.
In December 1916, duringWorld War I, theAnzac Mounted Division and other British Empire unitscaptured the 'Arish area from Ottoman forces. In Australia, the town ofEl Arish, Queensland was named in memory of this action.
El-ʻArīsh Military Cemetery, designed byRobert Lorimer,[21] was built in 1919 for Commonwealth personnel who died during World War I. It is one of several commonwealth war cemeteries in the region, includingtwo in theGaza Strip.
ARoyal Air Force airfield,[where?] known as RAF El Arish, was a base for air sea rescue and other operations, during World War II.
ʻArīsh was briefly controlled by Israeli forces, during both the1948 Palestine war and the 1956Suez War. On December 8, 1958, there was an air battle between Egyptian and Israeli air forces over ʻArīsh.[22] As a result of the1967 Arab-Israeli War, 'Arish was under Israeli occupation; it was returned to Egypt in 1979 after the signing of theEgypt–Israel peace treaty.
In 1967 there was a massacre of Egyptianprisoners of war by theIsraeli Defense Forces during theSix Day War. According to theEgyptian Organization for Human Rights, theIsraeli Defense Forces massacred "hundreds" of Egyptian prisoners of war andwounded soldiers in theSinai Peninsula, on 8 June 1967. Survivors alleged that approximately 400 wounded Egyptians wereburied alive outside the capturedEl Arish International Airport, and that 150 prisoners in the mountains of the Sinai were run over by Israeli tanks.[23][24]
In 1995, two graves holding the remains of 30 to 60 people, allegedly Egyptian soldiers killed after their surrender during the 1967 War, were found near Arish.[25][26][27]
On 24 November 2017, in theSinai mosque attack, 305 people were killed in a bomb and gun attack at the mosque inal-Rawda, 45 kilometres (28 mi) west of ʻArīsh.[28][29]
On 9 February 2021 six locals were killed bythe Islamic State terrorists.[30]
Arish became a staging point for relief efforts into Gaza during theGaza war. Its port served as a point to receive relief supplies and hosthospital ships. The desert region outside Arish served to host trucks to move supplies into Gaza, and a place to locatefield hospitals.[31][32][33][34]
There are some Australian war graves from WWI.[35]
In 1995 two mass graves were found near Arish.[27] An expedition was sponsored byal-Ahram,Cairo's government-run newspaper found mass graves of EgyptianPOWs from 1967.[25][36]
The city is served byEl Arish International Airport. The Northern Coastal Highway runs fromEl-Qantarah at theSuez Canal through Arish to theGaza border crossing atRafah. The railway line from Cairo is under re-construction with formation works completed only as far asBir al-Abed, west of Arish.[37] The route was formerly part of thePalestine Railways built duringWorld War I andWorld War II to connect Egypt with Turkey. The railway was cut during the formation of Israel.[38][39]
The city is the site of a deep-water seaport capable of serving ships up to 30,000 tonnes, the only such port on the Sinai Peninsula. Its major exports are cement, sand, salt and marble.[40] The Sinai White Cement Company plant is located 50 kilometres (31 mi) south of the city.[41]
The city is home toArish University.
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