Arish
Egypt · Africa
About Arish
Arish or El-Arish is the capital and largest city of the North Sinai Governorate of Egypt, as well as the largest city on the Sinai Peninsula, lying on the Mediterranean coast 344 kilometres (214 mi) northeast of Cairo and 45 kilometres (28 mi) west of the Egypt–Gaza border. Its estimated population was 204,391 in 2023.
In antiquity and the Early Middle Ages, the city was known as Rinokoroura (Ancient Greek: Ῥινοκόρουρα, Coptic: ϩⲣⲓⲛⲟⲕⲟⲣⲟⲩⲣⲁ). ʻArīsh is located at the mouth of Wadi al-Arish, a 250 kilometres (160 mi) long ephemeral watercourse. The Azzaraniq Protectorate is on the eastern side of ʻArīsh.
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) of Hierokles, which is difficult to interpret.
Another possibility is that the name el-Arish was given to a city that already existed in...
Arish travel guide
Understand
A seaside city with potential for tourism, Arish has been a focal point of terrorist activity with several attacks having taken place in and near the city.
Getting there
As of 2021, it is not possible to fly into Arish as 1 El Arish International Airport (AAC IATA) remains closed due to a deteriorating security situation. It is possible to travel overland from Cairo and other cities in the Sinai Peninsula with both public transport and private vehicle. The border with Gaza is open as of early 2023, but there is always a risk of closure. The nearest border crossing with Israel open for tourists is in Taba, almost 200 km (120 mi) to the south.
See
1 Arish castle (قلعة العريش). Built by Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Magnificent in 1560 AD. The remains of the castle is in a state of disrepair. (updated Jul 2024) 2 Rifa'i Mosque (At the central square). The main mosque of Arish. (updated Jan 2023)
Sleep
1 Swiss Inn Resort El Arish Hotel (تى كونر منتجع سويس إن العريش), ☏ +20 68 3351321. A seaside resort just outside the city. (updated Nov 2017)
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.