Ezbet El Borg عزبة البرج | |
|---|---|
 Map showing Izbat al-Burj in relation to the city ofDamietta | |
  Ezbet El Borg Location in Egypt | |
| Coordinates:31°30′11″N31°50′28″E / 31.50306°N 31.84111°E /31.50306; 31.84111 | |
| Country |  Egypt |
| Governorate | Damietta |
| Population | |
• Total | 70,000 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EST) |
Ezbet El Borg (Arabic:عزبة البرج,IPA:[ˈʕezbetelˈboɾɡ]; alsotransliteratedʻIzbat al-Burj, lit.Village of the Tower) is a coastal city with a large fishing industry inDamietta Governorate,Egypt. It is 15 km (9 mi) northeast ofDamietta, and 210 km (130 mi) fromCairo. Its population is approximately 70,000.[1]
The city is situated on thenorthern coast of Egypt at the mouth of the Damietta river, adistributary of theNile, oppositeRas El Bar.
The city was named in reference to the defensive tower that once stood there ("Burj" inArabic means tower). In 1869, a 180-foot (55 m)minaret was built to guide ships in theMediterranean Sea, but this location is now just a shallow spot in the Nile riverbed.[citation needed] The town was historically granted to the SyrianKahil family byMuhammad Ali of Egypt.[2]
In recent history, there were accusations ofballot stuffing at the local voting station during the2007 Shura Council election. TheAugust 2009 Egyptian hostage escape fromSomali pirates mostly involved sailors from the town.[citation needed]
The city is home to approximately 10,000 fishermen (1% ofEgypt's total), and the base of Egypt's largest fishing boat fleet, including boats of the traditionalfelucca type. The city is also home to asardine-canning factory operated by the Edfina Company.[3] The fishing sector provides the main source of income for the locals.[4] Many of the fishing boats venture far along the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea. It is also a center for ship and yacht-building in Egypt.[5] In 2014 and 2015, the fishermen of Ezbet El Borg were involved in a dispute with the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety regarding compliance with maritime safety standards.[6]
Ezbet el-Borg ship.
