Arish
The name Arish first appears in written records during the 9th century, yet its ancient predecessor Rinocoroura carries a story of mutilation and exile. Classic authors describe this name as a compound meaning nose and cut short, linking it to Persian kings who punished tribes by amputating noses. Herodotus mentions a city called Ienysos between Lake Serbonis and Kadytis, possibly an earlier version of Rinocoroura. In the 4th century BC, King Artaxerxes II or III allegedly ordered these punishments during campaigns in Syria. The Greek historian Diodorus later recorded that an Ethiopian king named Actisanes governed Egypt with justice while exiling criminals to this desert border town. By the 1st century AD, the Oxyrhynchus papyrus invoked Isis within Rinokoloura, calling her all-seeing. A Coptic-Arabic colophon from 1616 identifies a writer named Solomon of Shorpo as being from el-Arish, suggesting continuity despite the name change. The earliest Christian reference dates to 339 AD when Salomon was appointed bishop of Rinokoloura.
Arish sits at the mouth of Wadi al-Arish, a long ephemeral watercourse flowing into the Mediterranean Sea. This northern Sinai location places it about 200 kilometers northeast of Cairo and west of the Egypt-Gaza border. The Köppen climate classification marks it as hot desert BWh, though prevailing Mediterranean winds moderate temperatures along the coast. Record highs reached 50 degrees Celsius on the 29th of May 2003, while lows dropped to 5 degrees Celsius on the 8th of January 1994. North Sinai remains targeted by Egyptian planners hoping to divert three million people from the crowded Nile Delta through infrastructure projects. Arish serves as the closest city to Lake Bardawil, creating unique ecological conditions for the region. The Azzaraniq Protectorate occupies land on the eastern side of the city, adding another layer to its strategic geography. Government proposals suggest completing transportation and irrigation networks could transform this arid zone into a population hub.
During December 1916, Anzac Mounted Division units captured the Arish area from Ottoman forces in World War I. Australian troops named their Queensland town El Arish to honor this specific military action. The fortifications built by the Ottoman Empire in 1560 fell after an 11-day siege on the 19th of February 1799 during the Napoleonic Wars. British bombers destroyed the fort again during World War I before establishing the 45th Stationary Hospital there. Casualties from the Palestine campaign were treated at this facility until remains moved to Kantara Cemetery. Robert Lorimer designed the El-Arish Military Cemetery in 1919 for Commonwealth personnel who died fighting in the war. Two other commonwealth cemeteries exist nearby in the Gaza Strip. During World War II, RAF El Arish functioned as a base for air sea rescue operations. Israeli forces briefly controlled the city during both the 1948 Palestine war and the 1956 Suez War. An air battle between Egyptian and Israeli aircraft occurred over Arish on the 8th of December 1958.
On the 8th of June 1967, during the Six Day War, Israeli Defense Forces massacred hundreds of Egyptian prisoners of war near Sinai Peninsula locations. Survivors alleged that approximately 400 wounded Egyptians were buried alive outside the captured El Arish International Airport. Another account claims 150 prisoners in the mountains were run over by Israeli tanks. The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights documented these events as war crimes against surrendered soldiers. In 1995, two graves holding remains of 30 to 60 people surfaced near Arish. These mass graves contained Egyptian soldiers killed after surrendering during the 1967 conflict. A government-sponsored expedition led by al-Ahram newspaper found the first grave within six hours of digging. Abdel-Salam Moussa, a former Egyptian POW who allegedly helped bury his comrades 28 years earlier, guided excavators to the site. The discovery confirmed allegations about systematic killings of unarmed prisoners following the capture of strategic positions.
El Arish International Airport serves current air travel needs while the Northern Coastal Highway connects El-Qantarah at the Suez Canal through Arish to Rafah border crossing. Construction continues on the railway line from Cairo with formation works completed only as far as Bir al-Abed west of the city. This route was originally part of Palestine Railways built during both World Wars to connect Egypt with Turkey before being cut during Israel's formation. The deep-water seaport handles ships up to 30,000 tonnes, making it the only such facility on the entire Sinai Peninsula. Major exports include cement, sand, salt and marble from local quarries. The Sinai White Cement Company plant operates south of the city center. Arish University provides higher education opportunities for residents of North Sinai Governorate. Government planners hope infrastructure completion will help settle three million Egyptians in this region to reduce population density elsewhere.
On the 24th of November 2017, a bomb and gun attack killed 305 people at the mosque in al-Rawda located west of Arish. Six locals died again on the 9th of February 2021 when Islamic State terrorists attacked the area. During the 2020s Gaza war, Arish became a critical staging point for relief efforts into Palestinian territories. Its port received hospital ships while desert regions outside the city hosted trucks moving supplies toward Gaza. Field hospitals operated in the surrounding desert areas to treat casualties from ongoing conflicts. Recent terrorist attacks have targeted both religious sites and civilian populations within the governorate boundaries. Despite these challenges, the city maintains its function as a humanitarian corridor connecting Egypt with Gaza Strip operations. Security forces continue monitoring threats while international organizations coordinate aid distribution through established ports and airfields.
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Common questions
When did the name Arish first appear in written records?
The name Arish first appears in written records during the 9th century. Its ancient predecessor Rinocoroura carries a story of mutilation and exile linked to Persian kings who punished tribes by amputating noses.
Where is Arish located relative to Cairo and Gaza?
Arish sits at the mouth of Wadi al-Arish about 200 kilometers northeast of Cairo and west of the Egypt-Gaza border. It serves as the closest city to Lake Bardawil creating unique ecological conditions for the region.
What happened to Ottoman fortifications in Arish on the 19th of February 1799?
Ottoman Empire fortifications built in 1560 fell after an 11-day siege on the 19th of February 1799 during the Napoleonic Wars. British bombers destroyed the fort again during World War I before establishing the 45th Stationary Hospital there.
How many people died in the attack at the mosque in al-Rawda on the 24th of November 2017?
A bomb and gun attack killed 305 people at the mosque in al-Rawda located west of Arish on the 24th of November 2017. Six locals died again on the 9th of February 2021 when Islamic State terrorists attacked the area.
When did Israeli Defense Forces massacre hundreds of Egyptian prisoners of war near Sinai Peninsula locations?
On the 8th of June 1967 during the Six Day War Israeli Defense Forces massacred hundreds of Egyptian prisoners of war near Sinai Peninsula locations. Survivors alleged that approximately 400 wounded Egyptians were buried alive outside the captured El Arish International Airport.