Arish or el-Arīsh (Arabic: العريش ) is the capital and largest city (with 114,900 inhabitants as of 2002) of the Egyptian governorate of Shamal Sina', lying on the Mediterranean coast of the Sinai peninsula, 344 kilometers (214 miles) northeast of Cairo. Al `Arīsh is distinguished by its clear blue water, widespread fruitful palmy wood on its coast, and its soft white sand. It has a yacht marina, and many luxury hotels.
The city also has some of the faculties of Suez Canal University.
El Arish is by a big wadi called the Wadi el Arish, which receives flash flood water from much of north and central Sinai.
1- History
The city grew around a Bedouin settlement near the ancient Ptolemaic Dynasty outpost of Rhinocolura. Located halfway between Israel and Egypt, El Arish should be of major archaeological interest - but, surprisingly, no major archaeological project has ever been carried out in it or in its vicinity. In the Middle Ages, pilgrims misidentified the site as the Sukkot of the Bible. Arīsh means "palm huts" in Arabic corresponding to the Hebrew Sukkot.
New fortifications were constructed at the original site by the Ottoman Empire in 1560. During the Napoleonic Wars, the French laid siege to the fort, which fell after 11 days on February 19, 1799. The fort was destroyed by British bombers during World War I.
El Arish was under military occupation by the state of Israel from 1967 to 1979 and briefly in 1956. It was returned to Egypt in 1979 after the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty. An increasingly popular tourist destination, El Arish is situated at 31°07′N, 33°48′E.
2- Transport
The city is served by El Arish International Airport. The construction of the northern coast high way in Egypt (North Sinai part) is expected to be finished by 2008 linking Qantara at Suez Canal (in the west) to Gaza strip border passing by Al Arish. The railway line from Cairo is also under re-construction and it recently reached the "Ser and Qawarir zone" west of Al 'Arish. This route was formerly part of the Palestine Railway built during WW1/2 to connect Egypt with Turkey. The railway was cut during the formation of Israel. The North Sinai is a milestone for the Egyptian government planners to re-distribute the high-density population in the Delta, and it is expected that by accomplishing the transportation and Irrigation projects, 3 million Egyptians will settle in North Sinai.
