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43-622: Their best known option is an all-you-can-eat meal which for a set price includes a salad, bread and unlimited meats. Although the menu varies from day to day, most days provide at least 10-12 different types of meat to choose from. A series of waiters go from table to table with the different selections of meat, allowing diners to try every type for one flat price. Papagaio also offers a meat sampler. As of 2022 there are two locations around Israel: There used to be locations also in Eilat , Haifa , and Tel Aviv . Both locations are certified kosher :

86-402: A casemate fortress, tentatively dated by to the first half of the 8th century BCE. A 45 × 45–metre offset-inset, or "salients and recesses" wall was abutted on the inside by a continuous row of rooms, these constituting the "casemate" element from its name. In the centre of the courtyard stood a four-room building , almost square and measuring approximately 13 × 13 metres, possibly serving as

129-411: A hot desert climate ( Köppen : BWh ) with very hot, dry summers and warm, similarly dry winters. Winters are usually between 11–23 °C (52–73 °F). Summers are usually between 26–40 °C (79–104 °F). There are relatively small coral reefs near Eilat; however, 50 years ago they were much larger. The overwhelming majority of Eilat's population are Jews . Arabs constitute about 4% of

172-645: A Canada Park. Tell el-Kheleifeh 29°32′50″N 34°58′49″E  /  29.54722°N 34.98028°E  / 29.54722; 34.98028 Tell el-Kheleifeh (also Tell el-Chulefi ) is an archaeological site in Jordan at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba immediately northwest of the city of Aqaba . Its older identification with the 10th-century port from the biblical King Solomon narrative does not stand up to newer archaeological assessments, while its identification with biblical Ezion-geber and/or Elath of

215-757: A busy port and popular 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 located at the southernmost tip of Israel, at the southern end of the Arabah and the Negev Desert , adjacent to the Egyptian resort city of Taba to

258-407: A citadel. The earlier fortress was replaced by a radically different fortified settlement of much larger proportions, 56 × 59 × 59 × 63 m. This was protected by an offset-inset wall and a four-chambered gateway . Large parts of the older casemate fortress and its four-room building were preserved and used in the northwestern corner of the new, enlarged structure. Finkelstein identifies it as

301-493: A comprehensive reassessment of the architectural and ceramic finds. Particularly in the case of ceramics, he came to a shorter dating of the settlement through comparative studies with numerous other sites from Israel and Jordan. According to his results, largely reconfirmed and expanded on in 2014 by Israel Finkelstein , two main phases of habitation can be assumed, with one or two additional minor ones: Sparse ceramic findings without associated architectural remains might hint at

344-425: A later date remains a matter of speculative interpretation. During his excavations in 1933, the researcher Fritz Frank stated that he believed the ruins were those of Ezion-geber. During his excavations from 1938 to 1940, American archaeologist Nelson Glueck adopted the same thesis. He distinguished five settlement periods, which he dated to between the 10th and 5th centuries BCE. In 1985, Gary Pratico presented

387-658: 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 in 1956, with its tourism industry in particular starting to flourish. The Israeli Navy 's Eilat naval base

430-488: 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. In the 1970s tourism became increasingly important to the city's economy as other industries shut down or were drastically reduced. Today tourism

473-499: A small settlement existing at the site or nearby during the 12th century BCE, and possibly into the 11th. In any case, there are no material remains from ca. 1000–800 BCE, a time span that includes the time of both Solomon and Jehoshaphat . Marta Luciani argues that old and newly identified samples of Qurayya ware at the site indicate that it was occupied during the Late Bronze Age . The first architectural remains are of

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516-552: 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 facilities open to vacationing tourists. Since 2019, Ramon International Airport has handled commercial domestic and international flights to Eilat ( IATA : ETM, ICAO : LLER). 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

559-460: 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 11 km (6.8 mi) coastline, and diving represents 10% of the tourism income of this area. In addition, given

602-532: Is the city's major source of income, although Eilat became a free trade zone in 1985. Eilat offers a wide range of accommodations, from hostels and luxury hotels to Bedouin 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: Skin and scuba diving equipment is 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. Eilat

645-519: The Assyrian fort of Ezion-geber, guarding the trade routes with Arabia along with the forts at Tamar ( Ein Hazeva ) and Khirbet en-Nahas , as part of a strategic Assyrian domination system built between the very end of the 8th and the first half of the 7th century BCE. Finkelstein dates the end of this phase to the late 7th century, Pratico to the early 6th. Pottery and Aramaic ostraca attest to

688-554: 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 . During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War , 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 memorial at

731-738: The Committee for the Designation of Place-Names in the Negev , referring to Elath , a location in the vicinity mentioned multiple times in the Hebrew Bible , notably as a station during the Israelites' exodus from Egypt , a site where King Solomon built ships, which was later rebuilt by Uzziah of Judah . The ancient site is possibly located at Tell el-Kheleifeh , an archaeological site situated halfway between modern Eilat and Aqaba, on

774-685: The Dolphin Reef , where visitors can swim with dolphins; the Coral Beach Nature Reserve , the northernmost shallow coral reef on Earth; the Coral World Underwater Observatory , the Ice Mall, and the city's marina and sea-side promenade, home to many bars, restaurants and shops. The city also offers opportunities for hiking and exploration in nearby natural reserves like Timna Valley Park and

817-537: The Eilat bakery bombing 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 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 . In order to prevent terrorist infiltration of Israel from

860-599: 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 Britain and France in the war against Egypt sparked by the Suez Crisis , while in 1967, 90% of Israeli oil passed through the Straits of Tiran. Oil tankers that were due to pass through

903-677: The high-speed railway to Eilat , 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 (see Zin Desert ). The former Eilat Airport was closed on 18 March 2019 after the opening of Ramon Airport . The land occupied by the former airport is to be redeveloped. The new Ramon Airport opened in January 2019, 18 kilometres (11 miles) north of Eilat and replaced both Eilat Airport and

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946-600: 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 , Madron , Ashanti and Rambo III . Despite harsh conditions, the region has supported large populations as far back as 8,000 BCE. Several Neolithic sites have been discovered in Eilat in its vicinity. One of them is a late Neolithic burial site with fan scrapers , dated by archaeologists to 5410-4250 BCE. Exploration of ancient sites began in 1861, but only 7% of

989-504: The 9th. It was one of six very similar contemporary villages discovered in close vicinity, two along the northbound leg of the Darb , and three to the southwest, along the coastal road, all of them depending on the nearby port of Ayla and the Hajj road. Its remains were found and excavated in 1989, between the industrial zone at the northern edge of Eilat and nearby Kibbutz Eilot . During

1032-503: The Eilat Mountains. Eilat's arid desert climate and low humidity are 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). Eilat averages 360 sunny days a year. The name Eilat was given to the abandoned frontier post of Umm al-Rashrāsh ( أم الرشراش ) in 1949 by

1075-500: 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

1118-642: The Jerusalem location is certified L'Mehadrin by the Orthodox Union and the Herzliya location is under the Rabbanut. Eilat Eilat ( / eɪ ˈ l ɑː t / ay- LAHT , UK also / eɪ ˈ l æ t / ay- LAT ; Hebrew : אֵילַת [eˈlat] ; Arabic : إِيلَات , romanized :  Īlāt ) is Israel 's southernmost city, with a population of 53,151,

1161-580: The Jordanian side of the border. 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

1204-539: The Negev maintains a campus in Eilat. The Eilat branch has 1,100 students, about 75 percent from outside the city. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem , also maintains a campus in Eilat. 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 's Eilat Field School on

1247-685: 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. During the Israel-Hamas War and ensuing Red Sea crisis , the port saw an 85% reduction in volumes and by 12 July 2024 the port of Eilat declared bankruptcy resulting in it seeing no economic activity or revenue for eight months. In July 2012, Israel signed an agreement with China to cooperate in building

1290-446: The area has undergone serious archaeological excavation . Some 1,500 ancient sites are located in a 1,200-square-kilometer (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. Eilat is twinned with: Eilat has streets named after Antibes , Durban , Kamen , Kampen and Los Angeles as well as

1333-450: The border crossing with Egypt. 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. The Port of Eilat and Eilat Marina allow travel by sea. Future plans also call for

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1376-420: The civilian use of Ovda Airport . 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 dunams 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

1419-474: The historical place of March 1949 was declared a National Heritage Site in 1994. The town developed over the following years. Eilat Airport 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

1462-523: 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 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. Eilat has

1505-517: The oldest on earth. An Islamic community of 250–400 residents flourished for one or two generations in the area during the Umayyad period . It dealt in agriculture, copper mining and smelting , as well as trading with pilgrims by taking advantage of the adjacent Darb el-Hajj ('Way of the Hajj ') route in the 8th century CE. There was some sporadic reuse of the abandoned site by pastoralists during

1548-406: The outskirts of Eilat offers special hiking tours that focus on desert ecology , the Red Sea , bird migration and other aspects of Eilat's flora and fauna. The Hesder Yeshiva Ayelet Hashachar, is based in Eilat, established in 1997. Yoseftal Medical Center , established in 1968, is Israel's southernmost hospital, and the only hospital covering the southern Negev . With 65 beds, the hospital

1591-746: 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 population, as well as many affluent Jordanians and Egyptians 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. The educational system of Eilat accommodates more than 9,000 children 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

1634-452: 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 21–25 °C (70–77 °F), with little or no currents and clear waters with an average of 20–30 metres (66–98 feet) visibility. Eilat has been utilized by film and television productions – domestic and foreign – for location shooting since

1677-478: 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." Archaeological excavations uncovered impressive prehistoric ( Neolithic ) tombs dating to the 7th millennium BC at the western edge of Eilat, while nearby copper workings and mining operations at Timna Valley are one of

1720-491: The south, the Jordanian port city of Aqaba to the east, and within sight of Haql , Saudi Arabia , across the gulf to the southeast. Eilat hosts numerous hotels, holiday resorts, and beaches. Its renown coral reefs make it a popular destination for diving tourism , with activities such as snorkeling and scuba diving . The city's shopping centers benefit from its status as a tax-free zone . Notable attractions include

1763-459: The straits were delayed. The straits' closure was cited by Israel as an additional casus belli leading to the outbreak of the Six-Day War . Following peace treaties signed with Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994 , Eilat's borders with its neighbors were finally opened. Eilat is especially defended by its own special forces unit LOTAR Eilat . It is a reservist special forces unit of

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1806-557: 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

1849-402: Was founded that year. The town's population grew to 5,300 in 1961. Yoseftal Medical Center and the Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline 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 Arab countries maintained a state of hostility with Israel, blocking all land routes; Israel's access to and trade with the rest of

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