View source for Eilat

{{Short description|City in Southern Israel}}
{{About|the city}}
{{redirect|Elat|the Canaanite goddess|Asherah}}
{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Eilat
| native_name             = {{native name|he|אילת|italics=off}}<br />{{native name|ar|إيلات|italics=off}}
| settlement_type         = [[List of cities in Israel|City]]
| image_skyline          = {{Photomontage
  |photo1a = Eilat night hotels 2016.jpg
  |photo2a = Eilat Coastline At Night.jpg
  |photo3a = Eilat by the Red Sea (7716934936).jpg
  |photo3b = North Beach Eilat.jpg
  |photo4a = Eilat Blick von der Promenade in die Outskirts 09.JPG
  |size    = 250
  |space   = 2
  }}
| image_caption          = '''From upper left:''' Eilat coastline at night (×2), evening view of Eilat marina, view of Eilat North Beach, view from the promenade to the outskirts and the surrounding [[Eilat Mountains|mountains of Eilat]].
| image_flag              = [[File:Flag of Eilat, Israel.svg|100px]]
| image_blank_emblem      = [[File:Coat of arms of Eilat.svg|60px]]
| blank_emblem_type       = Coat of arms
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
| pushpin_map             = Israel negev mt#Israel
| pushpin_mapsize         = 
| pushpin_label_position  = 
| pushpin_map_caption     = 
| mapframe                = yes
| coordinates             = {{coord|29|33|25|N|34|57|06|E|region:IL|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{ISR}}
| subdivision_type1       = [[Districts of Israel|District]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[Southern District (Israel)|Southern]]
| subdivision_type2       = Subdistrict
| subdivision_name2       = [[Beersheba Subdistrict|Beersheba]]
| established_title       = Founded
| established_date        = 7000 BCE <small>(earliest settlements)</small><br />1951 <small>(Israeli city)</small>
| leader_title            = Mayor
| leader_name             = [[Meir Yitzhak Halevi]]
| unit_pref               = dunam
| area_total_dunam        = {{formatnum:84789|R}}
| population_footnotes    = {{Israel populations|reference}}
| population_total        = {{Israel populations|Elat}}
| population_as_of        = {{Israel populations|Year}}
| population_density_km2  = auto
| demographics_type1      = Ethnicity
| demographics1_footnotes = {{Israel populations|reference}}
| demographics1_title1    = [[Israeli Jews|Jews]]
| demographics1_info1     = 78.6%
| demographics1_title2    = [[Arab citizens of Israel|Arabs]]
| demographics1_info2     = 4.9%
| demographics1_title3    = Others
| demographics1_info3     = 16.5%
| website                 = [http://www.eilat.muni.il/ www.eilat.muni.il]
}}

'''Eilat''' ({{IPAc-en|eɪ|ˈ|l|ɑː|t}} {{respell|ay|LAHT}}, {{IPAc-en|UKalso|eɪ|ˈ|l|æ|t}} {{respell|ay|LAT}}; {{langx|he|אילת}} {{IPA|he|eˈlat||Eilat.ogg}}; {{langx|ar|إِيلَات|Īlāt}}) is [[Israel]]'s southernmost city, with a population of {{Israel populations|Elat}},{{Israel populations|reference}} a busy [[port of Eilat|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 [[tourism in Israel|tourists]] heading to Israel.

Eilat is located at the southernmost tip of Israel, at the southern end of the [[Arabah|Arava]] valley and the [[Negev]] desert, adjacent to the [[Egypt]]ian resort city of [[Taba, Egypt|Taba]] to the south, the [[Jordan]]ian 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 renowned [[coral reef]]s 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 shopping|tax-free zone]]. Notable attractions include the [[Dolphin Reef]], where visitors can swim with dolphins; the [[Eilat's Coral Beach|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|Timna Valley Park]] and the Eilat Mountains.

Eilat's arid [[Desert|desert climate]] and low humidity are moderated by proximity to a warm sea. Temperatures often exceed {{convert|40|°C}} in summer, and {{convert|21|°C}} in winter, while water temperatures range between {{convert|20|and|26|C|F}}. Eilat averages 360 sunny days a year.<ref>''Discovering the World of the Bible'', LaMar C. Berrett, (Cedar Fort 1996), page 204</ref>

==Etymology==
{{further|Elath|Aqaba#Name}}

The name ''Eilat'' was given to the abandoned frontier post of ''Umm al-Rashrāsh'' ({{langx|ar|أم الرشراش}}) in 1949 by the [[Hebraization of Palestinian place names#1949: Committee for the Designation of Place-Names in the Negev|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 [[The Exodus|Israelites' exodus from Egypt]], a site where King [[Solomon]] built ships, which was later rebuilt by [[Uzziah]] of [[Kingdom of Judah|Judah]].<ref>Eretz Magazine (3 June 2018), Editorial, [https://www.eretz.com/wordpress/blog/2018/06/03/the-names-committee/ The Names Committee] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922105116/https://www.eretz.com/wordpress/blog/2018/06/03/the-names-committee/ |date=2020-09-22 }}: "The issue of Eilat took up another chunk of the committee’s time. In 1949, Eilat did not exist. The city was founded only in 1952. But a place by the name of Eilat appears time and again in the biblical record. It was one of the stations in the wanderings of the people of Israel during the exodus from Egypt. King Solomon built ships on the shore of the Sea of Sof, in the land of Edom at Etzion Gever, which is Eilat. King Azariya of Judah built the city of Eilat, and so on and so forth. However, the location of this place called Eilat or Etzion Gaver remained unclear. On the shore of the gulf, where the big shopping mall of Eilat is today, a small adobe hut stood. The hut served as a British police station called Umm Rashrash. “On the map,” Yeivin explained, “we see a place called Umm Rashrash and next to it the name Eilat. But Eilat was not here. Biblical and Roman Eilat were across the border in Jordan. The name Eilat should be erased from the map.”; “We cannot give up Eilat,” Press retorted, “when the real Eilat finally is in our hands, our settlement will expand and reach over to there.” David Amiran, the geographer, suggested that Eilat should be the name of the settlement that would be built on the shore of the gulf, which should be called the Gulf of Eilat. Ben-Zvi was for eliminating Umm Rashrash from the map together with Etzion Gaver. Eilat is Eilat, he said, musing that maybe the committee should call Umm Rashrash Etzion Gaver and establish Eilat elsewhere. The committee ultimately decided to replace the name Umm Rashrash with Eilat. Etzion Gaver was commemorated on the map by dubbing a well along the coast Be’er Etzion Gever. Today the well is buried under the artificial lagoon in Eilat."</ref> The ancient site is possibly located at [[Tell el-Kheleifeh]], an archaeological site situated halfway between modern Eilat and Aqaba, on the Jordanian side of the border.<ref>Bartlett, J. R. (1990). “Ezion-geber, which is near Elath on the shore of the Read Sea” (I Kings IX 26). In ''In Quest of the Past'' (pp. 1–16). Brill.</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Aerial photographs of Eilat IMG 2057.JPG|thumb|left|Eilat aerial view]]

The geology and landscape are varied: igneous and [[metamorphic rock]]s, sandstone and limestone; mountains up to {{convert|892|m}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]]; broad valleys such as the Arava, and seashore on the Gulf of Aqaba. With an annual average rainfall of {{convert|28|mm}} and summer temperatures of {{convert|40|C|F}} and higher, [[water resources]] and vegetation are limited. "The main elements that influenced 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."<ref>Avner, U. 2008. Eilat Region. In, A. Stern (ed.). The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavation in the [[Holy Land]], Volume 5 (Supplementary). Jerusalem. 1704–1711.</ref>
{{clear}}

==History==
{{multiple image
| total_width = 420
| height1 = 
| height2 = 
| align = right
| footer = On the left a map drawn by the first foreigner to explore the area in modern times with current borders overlaid; modern Eilat is located between the mountain "Gatal Mahamar" and the area labelled "marais saumâtre" ([[brackish marsh]]). On the right, an early Israeli map drawn shortly after the founding of modern Eilat.<br>The site of ancient Elath, later Ayla, is located midway between modern Eilat and [[Aqaba]], [[Jordan]], on the Jordanian side of the border; the Israeli map includes the words {{langx|he| אֵילַת הרומאית |lit=Roman Eilat}}. The mound shown on the 1822 map as "Ruines d'Elana" is today known as [[Tell el-Kheleifeh]], speculated to be Biblical [[Ezion-Geber]]; it is shown on the Israeli map as {{langx|he|עֶצְיֹן גֶּבֶר|lit= Ezion-Geber}}. The mountain peak named "Gebel Gatal Mahamar" in 1822 is named {{langx|he| הַר שְׁלֹמֹה|lit= Mount Solomon}} in the Israeli map
| image1 = 1822 Rüppell map of the Gulf of Aqaba with modern borders.jpg
| caption1 = 1822 ([[Eduard Rüppell]])
| width1 = 
| image2 = Survey of Palestine 1942-1958 1-100,000 24Eilat (cropped).jpg
| caption2 = 1952–58 ([[Survey of Israel]])
| width2 = 
| direction = horizontal
| width = 420
| image_gap = 
}}

===Early history===
[[Archaeology|Archaeological excavations]] uncovered impressive prehistoric ([[Timeline of the Palestine region#Neolithic|Neolithic]]) tombs dating to the [[7th millennium BC]] at the western edge of Eilat, while nearby copper workings and mining operations at [[Timna Valley Park|Timna Valley]] are one of the oldest on earth.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Chalcolithic, 5th Millennium BC, Copper Smelting at Timna |url=https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeo-metallurgical-studies/sites/archaeo-metallurgical-studies/files/iams_20_1998_rothenberg_merkel.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210303205213/https://www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeo-metallurgical-studies/sites/archaeo-metallurgical-studies/files/iams_20_1998_rothenberg_merkel.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2021}}</ref>

An Islamic community of 250–400 residents flourished for one or two generations in the area during the [[History of Israel#Umayyad period|Umayyad period]].<ref name=YR>{{cite journal |author=Yehudah Rapuano |title=An Early Islamic Settlement and a Possible Open-Air Mosque at Eilat |journal=[['Atiqot]] |year=2013 |volume=75 |pages=129–165}}</ref> 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.<ref name=YR/> There was some sporadic reuse of the abandoned site by pastoralists during the 9th.<ref name=YR/> 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 [[Aqaba#History|Ayla]] and the Hajj road.<ref name=YR/> Its remains were found and excavated in 1989, between the industrial zone at the northern edge of Eilat and nearby [[Kibbutz]] [[Eilot]].<ref name=YR/>

===Modern city===
[[File:Raising the Ink Flag at Umm Rashrash (cropped).jpg|alt=Israeli soldiers stabilize a flag pole whilst another soldier climbs it in order to raise an improvised flag; the soldier is seen about halfway up the flag pole. Other soldiers look on.|thumb|190px|The raising of the [[Ink Flag]], when Eilat was captured during [[Operation Uvda]]]]

During the [[Mandatory Palestine|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 [[United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine|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]].<ref>{{cite journal|author=John S. Haupert|title=Development of Israel's Frontier Port of Elat|journal= The Professional Geographer|volume=16|issue= 2|pages=13–16|doi=10.1111/j.0033-0124.1964.00013.x|year=1964|bibcode=1964ProfG..16...13H | issn=0033-0124 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Nowar|first1=Maan Abu|title=The history of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.|date=2002|publisher=Ithaca Press|location=Oxford|isbn=978-0863722868|page=297|edition=1.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H_JtAAAAMAAJ|access-date=2015-07-07|archive-date=2016-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501210123/https://books.google.com/books?id=H_JtAAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> This marked the end of Israel's war for independence. The [[Ink Flag#History|memorial at the historical place]] of March 1949 was declared a [[List of National Heritage Sites of Israel|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 a population of about 500. The Timna Copper Mines<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.timna.co.il/ |title=Timna Copper Mines homepage |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419020843/http://www.timna.co.il/ |archive-date=2016-04-19 }}</ref> 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 was founded that year.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nli.org.il/he/newspapers/dav/1956/12/27/01/article/12|title=⁨Untitled⁩ &#124; ⁨דבר⁩ &#124; 27 דצמבר 1956 &#124; אוסף העיתונות &#124; הספרייה הלאומית|website=www.nli.org.il}}</ref> The town's population grew to 5,300 in 1961. [[Yoseftal Medical Center]] and the [[Trans-Israel pipeline|Eilat-Ashkelon pipeline]] were completed in 1968, and the population increased further, reaching 13,100 in 1972 and 18,900 in 1983.

[[File:PikiWiki Israel 14880 The city of Eilat.jpg|thumb|250px|Eilat in 1963|left]]

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 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 the [[Mediterranean Sea|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.<ref name= Shlaim224>{{cite book |author1=[[Avi Shlaim|Shlaim, Avi]] |author2= Louis, William Roger |title= The 1967 Arab-Israeli War: Origins and Consequences |year= 2012 |publisher= Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-00236-4 |quote= 90% of Israeli oil was imported through the Straits of Tiran |page= 224 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8YhNPNeBh8IC&pg=PA27 |access-date=20 February 2016 |archive-date= 20 March 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150320012556/http://books.google.com/books?id=8YhNPNeBh8IC&pg=PA27 |url-status= live}}</ref> Oil tankers that were due to pass through the straits were delayed.<ref name= Shlaim27>Shlaim & Louis (2016), p. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150320012556/http://books.google.com/books?id=8YhNPNeBh8IC&pg=PA27 27].</ref><ref>{{cite web |title= Daily brief to the U.S president on 27 May 1967 |date=27 May 1967 |quote= diverted as was a sister ship yesterday |url=http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/pdbnews/blanton11.pdf |access-date= 26 May 2014 |archive-date=17 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617075433/http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/pdbnews/blanton11.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The straits' closure was cited by Israel as an additional ''[[casus belli]]'' leading to the outbreak of the [[Six-Day War]]. Following [[Peace treaty|peace treaties]] signed with [[Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty|Egypt in 1979]] and [[Israel–Jordan peace treaty|Jordan in 1994]], Eilat's borders with its neighbors were finally opened.

====Israeli–Arab conflict====
Eilat is especially defended by its own special forces unit [[LOTAR Eilat]]. It is a reservist [[Israeli Special Forces Units|special forces unit of 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.<ref>[http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=857 The real 24: An inside look at an elite IDF anti-terror unit] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702134452/http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=857 |date=2015-07-02 }} Friday August 26, 2011</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.idfblog.com/blog/2014/02/10/5-things-didnt-know-eilat-counterterrorism-unit/ |title=5 Things You Didn't Know about the Eilat Counterterrorism Unit |access-date=2018-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160220121937/https://www.idfblog.com/blog/2014/02/10/5-things-didnt-know-eilat-counterterrorism-unit/ |archive-date=2016-02-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2007 the [[Eilat bakery bombing]] killed three civilian bakers.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/29/world/middleeast/29cnd-mideast.html?hp&ex=1170133200&en=672e889f68796e72&ei=5094&partner=homepage ''Suicide Bomb Kills 3 in Bakery in Israel''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215132835/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/29/world/middleeast/29cnd-mideast.html?hp&ex=1170133200&en=672e889f68796e72&ei=5094&partner=homepage |date=2018-12-15 }} – The New York Times, Jan 29, 2007</ref><ref name="warned">{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/news/eilat-driver-warned-police-about-terrorist-minutes-before-attack-1.185514 |title=Eilat driver warned police about terrorist minutes before attack |newspaper=Haaretz |date=April 17, 2006 |access-date=October 29, 2012 |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201084854/https://www.haaretz.com/news/eilat-driver-warned-police-about-terrorist-minutes-before-attack-1.185514 |url-status=live }}</ref> This was the first such attack in Eilat proper,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=49624 |title=Peretz orders IDF to prepare for operations in Gaza |newspaper=The Jerusalem Post |date=January 29, 2007 |access-date=October 29, 2012 |archive-date=December 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191215064335/http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=49624 |url-status=live }}</ref> although other terror attacks had been carried out in the area.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/819130.html |title=Past terror attacks in the Eilat area |newspaper=Haaretz |date=January 29, 2007 |access-date=October 29, 2012 |archive-date=April 18, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090418064135/http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/819130.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2011, terrorists infiltrated Israel across the [[Sinai Peninsula|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]].<ref name="Haaretz1.382132">{{cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/september-songs-1.382132|work=Haaretz|date=September 2, 2011|title=September songs|first=Amos|last=Harel|access-date=March 18, 2012|archive-date=September 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925002312/http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/september-songs-1.382132|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Wyre Davies|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10807166|title='One killed' after rockets strike Jordan and Israel|publisher=BBC|date=August 2, 2010|access-date=January 28, 2011|archive-date=September 16, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100916182019/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-10807166|url-status=live}}</ref>

In order to prevent terrorist infiltration of Israel from 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.<ref>{{cite news|title=On Israel's uneasy border with Egypt, a fence rises|author=Joel Greenberg|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/on-israels-uneasy-border-with-egypt-a-fence-rises/2011/11/28/gIQAZt19JO_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post|date=2011-12-02|access-date=2012-03-25|archive-date=2012-03-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120319093357/http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/on-israels-uneasy-border-with-egypt-a-fence-rises/2011/11/28/gIQAZt19JO_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The fence was completed in January 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=On Israel-Egypt border, best defense is a good fence|author=Amos Harel|url=https://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/on-israel-egypt-border-best-defense-is-a-good-fence-1.395239|newspaper=Haaretz|date=2011-11-13|access-date=2012-01-07|archive-date=2017-12-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201145751/https://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/on-israel-egypt-border-best-defense-is-a-good-fence-1.395239|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the [[Gaza 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240716-israel-says-eilat-port-bankrupt-after-months-houthi-naval-blockade/|title=Israel says Eilat Port 'bankrupt' after months of Houthi naval blockade|date=2024-07-16|access-date=2024-07-21|website=Middle East Monitor|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716194526/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240716-israel-says-eilat-port-bankrupt-after-months-houthi-naval-blockade/|archive-date=2024-07-16|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Future development plans====
[[File:North Beach Eilat.jpg|thumb|Eilat's north beach|left]]

In July 2012, Israel signed an agreement with China to cooperate in building 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#Modern Desert of Zin|Zin Desert]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000762276&fid=1725 |title=Israel, China agree to build Eilat railway |publisher=Globes |date=2012-07-03 |access-date=2013-03-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808125753/http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000762276&fid=1725 |archive-date=2013-08-08 }}</ref>

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, {{convert|18|km|abbr=off}} north of Eilat and replaced both Eilat Airport and the civilian use of [[Ovda Airport]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ramon-airport.com |title=Ramon Airport |publisher=Ramon Airport Website |access-date=2016-01-30 |archive-date=2016-01-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128135205/http://www.ramon-airport.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> 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 [[dunam]]s 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 the links between the city's neighborhoods, which were separated by the airport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000738696&fid=1124 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130108060859/http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000738696&fid=1124 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-08 |title=Hotels, 1,000 apartments planned for Eilat Airport site |publisher=Globes |date=2012-04-03 |access-date=2013-03-12 }}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000630285&fid=1725 |title=Despite Japan, IEC chairman urges nuclear power |publisher=Globes |date=2011-03-15 |access-date=2013-03-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110325115242/http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000630285&fid=1725 |archive-date=2011-03-25 }}</ref>

==Climate==
Eilat has a [[hot desert climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''BWh'')<ref>{{cite web |url=http://en.climate-data.org/location/424/ |title=Climate: Eilat – Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table |publisher=Climate-Data.org |access-date=5 November 2013 |archive-date=5 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105142140/http://en.climate-data.org/location/424/ |url-status=live }}</ref> with very hot, dry summers and warm, similarly dry winters. Winters are usually between {{convert|11|-|23|°C|°F}}. Summers are usually between {{convert|26|-|40|°C|°F}}. There are relatively small [[coral reef]]s near Eilat; however, 50 years ago{{when|date=November 2021}} they were much larger.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}
{{Weather box
|location= Eilat (Temperature: 1987–2010, Precipitation: 1980–2010, extremes 1987–present))
|metric first= yes
|single line= yes
|Jan record high C= 32.2
|Feb record high C= 35.8
|Mar record high C= 38.7
|Apr record high C= 43.4
|May record high C= 45.2
|Jun record high C= 47.4
|Jul record high C= 48.3
|Aug record high C= 48.8
|Sep record high C= 48.9
|Oct record high C= 44.3
|Nov record high C= 38.1
|Dec record high C= 33.6
|Jan avg record high C= 26.3
|Feb avg record high C= 29.3
|Mar avg record high C= 32.8 
|Apr avg record high C= 38.2
|May avg record high C= 42.1
|Jun avg record high C= 43.6
|Jul avg record high C= 44.1
|Aug avg record high C= 43.2
|Sep avg record high C= 41.9
|Oct avg record high C= 39.7
|Nov avg record high C= 33.4
|Dec avg record high C= 28.0
|Jan high C= 21.3
|Feb high C= 23.0
|Mar high C= 26.1
|Apr high C= 31.0
|May high C= 35.7
|Jun high C= 38.9
|Jul high C= 40.4
|Aug high C= 40.0
|Sep high C= 37.3
|Oct high C= 33.1
|Nov high C= 27.7
|Dec high C= 23.0
|year high C= 
|Jan mean C= 15.8
|Feb mean C= 17.4
|Mar mean C= 20.5
|Apr mean C= 24.7
|May mean C= 29.1
|Jun mean C= 32.0
|Jul mean C= 33.8
|Aug mean C= 33.7
|Sep mean C= 31.3
|Oct mean C= 27.4
|Nov mean C= 22.0
|Dec mean C= 17.1
|year mean C= 
|Jan low C= 10.4
|Feb low C= 11.8
|Mar low C= 14.6
|Apr low C= 18.4
|May low C= 22.5
|Jun low C= 25.2
|Jul low C= 27.3
|Aug low C= 27.4
|Sep low C= 25.2
|Oct low C= 21.8
|Nov low C= 16.3
|Dec low C= 11.9
|year low C= 
|Jan avg record low C= 5.9
|Feb avg record low C= 7.4
|Mar avg record low C= 10.1
|Apr avg record low C= 13.4
|May avg record low C= 17.7
|Jun avg record low C= 21.5
|Jul avg record low C= 24.8
|Aug avg record low C= 24.8
|Sep avg record low C= 22.0
|Oct avg record low C= 17.4
|Nov avg record low C= 11.5
|Dec avg record low C= 7.5
|Jan record low C= 1.2
|Feb record low C= 0.9
|Mar record low C= 3.0
|Apr record low C= 8.4
|May record low C= 12.1
|Jun record low C= 18.5
|Jul record low C= 20.0
|Aug record low C= 19.4
|Sep record low C= 18.6
|Oct record low C= 9.2
|Nov record low C= 5.3
|Dec record low C= 2.5
|Jan rain mm= 4
|Feb rain mm= 3
|Mar rain mm= 3
|Apr rain mm= 2
|May rain mm= 1
|Jun rain mm= 0
|Jul rain mm= 0
|Aug rain mm= 0
|Sep rain mm= 0
|Oct rain mm= 4
|Nov rain mm= 2
|Dec rain mm= 5
|unit rain days=0.1 mm
|Jan rain days = 2.1
|Feb rain days = 1.8
|Mar rain days = 1.6
|Apr rain days = 0.9
|May rain days = 0.7
|Jun rain days = 0
|Jul rain days = 0
|Aug rain days = 0
|Sep rain days = 0
|Oct rain days = 0.7
|Nov rain days = 0.8
|Dec rain days = 1.9
|Jan humidity= 32 
|Feb humidity= 28 
|Mar humidity= 25 
|Apr humidity= 19
|May humidity= 16 
|Jun humidity= 15 
|Jul humidity= 17 
|Aug humidity= 18 
|Sep humidity= 23 
|Oct humidity= 27 
|Nov humidity= 29 
|Dec humidity= 33
|Jan sun = 229.4
|Feb sun = 237.3
|Mar sun = 251.1
|Apr sun = 273
|May sun = 319.3
|Jun sun = 324
|Jul sun = 347.2
|Aug sun = 347.2
|Sep sun = 291
|Oct sun = 282.1
|Nov sun = 246
|Dec sun = 217
|source 1= ''Israel Meteorological Service''<ref name="ims">{{cite web|url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |title=Averages and Records for Tel Aviv (Precipitation, Temperature and Records written in the page) |publisher=Israel Meteorological Service |access-date=1 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914010915/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/LongTermInfo |archive-date=14 September 2010 }}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael|title=Extremes for Tel Aviv [Records of February and May]|publisher=Israel Meteorological Service|access-date=2 August 2015|archive-date=10 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150710130329/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael/|url-status=live}}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/ClimaticAtlas/TempNormals.htm |title=Temperature average |publisher=Israel Meteorological Service |access-date=8 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618145923/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/ClimaticAtlas/TempNormals.htm |archive-date=18 June 2013 }}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref name="Precipitation average">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/ClimaticAtlas/RainNormals.htm 
 |title=Precipitation average 
 |access-date=12 July 2011 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925080227/http://www.ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/ClimaticAtlas/RainNormals.htm 
 |archive-date=25 September 2011 
}}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://ims.gov.il/IMS/CLIMATE/TopClimetIsrael/ |title=Record Data in Israel }}{{in lang|he}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=40199&ano=2025&mes=8&day=14&hora=13&min=0&ndays=30 |title= 40199:   Eilat (Israel)|author=<!--Not stated--> |date= 14 August 2025|website=ogimet.com |publisher=OGIMET |access-date= 14 August 2025|quote=}}</ref>
}}

{|class="wikitable"
|+Eilat mean sea temperature<ref name="Weather2Travel">{{cite web |url=http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/israel/eilat.php |title=Eilat Climate and Weather Averages, Israel |publisher=Weather2Travel |access-date=2014-01-20 |archive-date=2013-11-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105142554/http://www.weather2travel.com/climate-guides/israel/eilat.php |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!Jan
!Feb
!Mar
!Apr
!May
!Jun
!Jul
!Aug
!Sep
!Oct
!Nov
!Dec
|-
|{{convert|22|°C}}
|{{convert|21|°C}}
|{{convert|21|°C}}
|{{convert|23|°C}}
|{{convert|25|°C}}
|{{convert|26|°C}}
|{{convert|28|°C}}
|{{convert|28|°C}}
|{{convert|28|°C}}
|{{convert|27|°C}}
|{{convert|25|°C}}
|{{convert|23|°C}}
|}

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|title=Historical population
|type = Israel
|footnote =
|1955|500
|1961|5300
|1972|13100
|1983|18900
|1995|32500
|2008|47300
|2017|50724
|source      =[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics|CBS]]<ref name="cbs-loc">{{cite web|title=Locality File|year=2012|url=http://www.cbs.gov.il/ishuvim/ishuv2012/bycode.xls|publisher=[[Israel Central Bureau of Statistics]]|format=XLS|access-date=November 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103040955/http://www.cbs.gov.il/ishuvim/ishuv2012/bycode.xls|archive-date=2013-11-03|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}
The overwhelming majority of Eilat's population are [[Jews]]. Arabs constitute about 4% of the population.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://jiis-jerusalem-eng.blogspot.com/2013/11/mixed-cities-in-israel.html|title = The Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research Weblog: "Mixed Cities" in Israel|date = 2013-11-11|access-date = 2018-10-27|archive-date = 2018-10-28|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181028033925/http://jiis-jerusalem-eng.blogspot.com/2013/11/mixed-cities-in-israel.html|url-status = live}}</ref>  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 [[Jordanian people|Jordanians]] and [[Egyptians]] who visit Eilat in the summer months.

In 2007, over 200 [[Sudanese refugees in Egypt|Sudanese refugees from Egypt]] who arrived in Israel illegally on foot were given work and allowed to stay in Eilat.<ref name="boston">{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/06/01/enemy_sudanese_refugees_in_israel_face_uncertainty/ |title=Sudanese refugees in Israel face uncertainty |access-date=October 29, 2007 |publisher=Boston Globe |year=2007 |author-last1=Saul|author-first1=Jonathan|author-last2=Ringler|author-first2=Elana |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208140858/http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2006/06/01/enemy_sudanese_refugees_in_israel_face_uncertainty/ |archive-date=December 8, 2008 }}</ref><ref name="csm">{{cite web|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0602/p04s01-wome.html|title=Sudan's "Genocide" Lands at Israel's Door|access-date=October 29, 2007|publisher=[[The Christian Science Monitor]]|year=2006|author=Joshua Mitnick|archive-date=October 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071010011540/http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0602/p04s01-wome.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ynetjw">{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3401140,00.html|title=Israel must reject Darfur refugees, rabbi says|access-date=October 29, 2007|publisher=Ynet News – Jewish World|year=2007|author=Neta Sela|newspaper=Ynetnews|archive-date=October 23, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023092554/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3401140,00.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Education==
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.<ref>{{cite web|author=Daniel Horowitz |url=http://www.jewishtoronto.net/page.aspx?id=58842 |title=UJA Federation of Greater Toronto |publisher=Jewishtoronto.net |access-date=January 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209002030/http://www.jewishtoronto.net/page.aspx?id=58842 |archive-date=February 9, 2009 }}</ref> [[Ben Gurion University of 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.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hebrew University in Numbers |url=https://en.huji.ac.il/university-numbers |website=en.huji.ac.il |access-date=22 November 2024}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cmsprod.bgu.ac.il/Eng/home/News/New+Student+Dormitories.htm |title=New Student Dormitories Dedicated in Eilat Campus |date=2010-05-15 |access-date=2013-08-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619033729/http://cmsprod.bgu.ac.il/Eng/home/News/New%2BStudent%2BDormitories.htm |archive-date=June 19, 2010 }}</ref> The [[SPNI]]'s Eilat Field School on 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://aspni.org/?page_id=287 |title=SPNI field schools |publisher=Aspni.org |access-date=2013-08-08 |archive-date=2013-05-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530082026/http://aspni.org/?page_id=287 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Hesder|Hesder Yeshiva]] Ayelet Hashachar, is based in Eilat, established in 1997.<ref>[https://www.yeilat.org/en site of the Yeshiva] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224074940/https://www.yeilat.org/en |date=2019-12-24 }}/</ref>

==Healthcare==
[[Yoseftal Medical Center]], established in 1968, is Israel's southernmost hospital, and the only hospital covering the southern [[Negev]]. With 65 beds, the hospital is Israel's smallest. Special services geared to the Red Sea region are a [[diving chamber|hyperbaric chamber]] to treat victims of diving accidents and [[kidney dialysis]] facilities open to vacationing tourists.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clalit.org.il/he-il/english |title=Clalit Health Services |publisher=Clalit.org.il |access-date=January 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100216031352/http://www.clalit.org.il/HE-IL/english |archive-date=February 16, 2010 }}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Transportation==
{{multiple image|caption_align=center
<!-- Essential parameters -->
 | align             = right
 | direction         = vertical
 | width             = 200
 | image1            = Ramon_Airport_LLER_entrance_15-02-2019.jpg
 | alt1              = 
 | caption1          = [[Ramon Airport]]
 | image2            = Eilat's Harbor.JPG
 | alt2              = 
 | caption2          = [[Port of Eilat]]
}}

===Air===
Since 2019, [[Ramon Airport|Ramon International Airport]] has handled commercial domestic and international flights to Eilat ([[IATA]]: ETM, [[ICAO]]: LLER).

====Former airports====
* [[Eilat Airport]] is located in the city centre and was used largely for domestic flights<ref name="EAir">{{cite web|url=http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Airports/Eilat|title=Eilat Airport|access-date=November 16, 2007|publisher=Israel Airports Authority|year=2007|author=Israel Airports Authority|archive-date=October 31, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031095741/http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Airports/Eilat/|url-status=live}}</ref> (IATA: ETH, ICAO: LLET). The former site is to be [[Eilat Airport#The site after closure of the airport|redeveloped]].
* International flights often used [[Ovda Airport|Ovda International Airport]] some {{convert|50|km|mi}} northwest of the city<ref name="OAir">{{cite web|url=http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Airports/Ovda|title=Ovda Airport|access-date=November 16, 2007|publisher=Israel Airports Authority|year=2007|author=Israel Airports Authority|archive-date=October 31, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071031095744/http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Airports/Ovda/|url-status=live}}</ref> (IATA: VDA, ICAO: LLOV). While no civilian flights use the airport any longer, it remains in use as a military airbase and for [[aircraft storage]].

===Road===
Eilat has two main roads connecting it with the center of Israel – [[Highway 12 (Israel)|Route 12]], which leads North West, and [[Highway 90 (Israel–Palestine)|Route 90]] which leads North East, and South West to the border crossing with Egypt.

====Bus====
[[Egged Bus Cooperative|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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.egged.co.il/Article-809,1423-Tickets-to-Eilat.aspx|title = Advance booking – egged.co.il}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/the-bus-to-eilat|title=The Bus to Eilat|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|date=18 August 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/travel/.premium-tourist-tip-152-taking-the-bus-to-eilat-1.5227526|title = Tourist Tip #152 / Taking the Bus to Eilat|newspaper = Haaretz}}</ref>

===Border crossings with Egypt and Jordan===
[[File:Leaving Israel (4076694962).jpg|thumb|Yitzhak Rabin Crossing]]

* The [[Taba Border Crossing]] allows crossing to and from [[Taba, Egypt|Taba]], Egypt.
* The [[Wadi Araba Crossing]], renamed the [[Yitzhak Rabin]] Border Crossing on the Israeli side, allows crossing to and from [[Aqaba]], Jordan.

===Maritime===
The [[Port of Eilat]] and Eilat Marina allow travel by sea.

=== Rail===
Future plans also call for a rail link, sometimes referred to as the [[High-speed railway to Eilat|Med-Red]]<ref>Moti Bassok, [https://www.haaretz.com/business/cabinet-examining-plan-for-med-red-railway-1.409957 Cabinet examining plan for Med-Red railway] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140215064338/http://www.haaretz.com/business/cabinet-examining-plan-for-med-red-railway-1.409957 |date=2014-02-15 }} ''[[Haaretz]]'', January 30, 2012</ref> to decrease travel times substantially from Eilat to [[Tel Aviv]] and [[Jerusalem]], via the existing line at [[Beersheba|Beer Sheba]]; planning is underway. As of 2021 [[Dimona railway station]] is the southernmost passenger train station in Israel.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-israel-railways-rides-again-1001333934|title = Israel Railways rides again but few passengers return|newspaper = Globes|date = 28 June 2020}}</ref>
{{clear}}

==Economy==
In the 1970s tourism became increasingly important to the city's economy as other industries shut down or were drastically reduced. Today tourism is the city's major source of income, although Eilat became a [[free trade zone]] in 1985.<ref>{{cite news|title=Eilat turns to industry to complement tourism trade|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/99154829.html?dids=99154829:99154829&FMT=ABS|first=Judy|last=Maltz|publisher=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=January 12, 1989|page=9|access-date=October 30, 2007|archive-date=September 28, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080928011318/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/access/99154829.html?dids=99154829:99154829&FMT=ABS|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Tourism===
[[File:Eilat Sports Center by Bodek Achitects.JPG|thumb|[[Eilat Sports Center]], a $3 million project, was completed in 2013.]]

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:

*[[Birdwatching]] and ringing station: Eilat is located on the main migration route between Africa and Europe. International Birding & Research Center in Eilat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birdsofeilat.com/about%20us.htm |title=birdsofeilat.com |publisher=birdsofeilat.com |access-date=January 28, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090903120138/http://www.birdsofeilat.com/about%20us.htm |archive-date=September 3, 2009 }}</ref>
*[[Camel]] tours
*[[Coral Beach Nature Reserve]], an underwater [[Marine Protected Area|marine reserve]] of tropical marine flora and fauna
*[[Coral World Underwater Observatory]], located at the southern tip of Coral Beach, it has aquaria, a museum, simulation rides, and shark, turtle, and [[stingray]] tanks. The observatory is the biggest [[public aquarium]] in the Middle East.<ref name="cw">{{cite web|url=http://www.coralworld.com/eilat/eng/ |title=The Underwater Observatory Marine Park, Eilat |access-date=November 16, 2007 |publisher=Coral World |year=2005 |author=Coral World |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026054705/http://coralworld.com/eilat/eng/ |archive-date=October 26, 2007 }}</ref>
*[[Dolphin Reef]], a marine biology and research station where visitors can swim and interact with dolphins<ref name="dolphin">{{cite web|url=http://www.dolphinreef.co.il/Default.aspx?tabid=1 |title=The Freedom To Choose |access-date=October 29, 2007 |publisher=The Dolphin Reef Eilat |year=2007 |author=The Dolphin Reef Eilat |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071118012403/http://www.dolphinreef.co.il/Default.aspx?tabid=1 |archive-date=November 18, 2007 }}</ref>
*Freefall [[parachuting]].
*[[Yotvata Hai-Bar Nature Reserve]], established in the 1960s to conserve [[endangered species]], including Biblical animals, from this and similar regions. The reserve has a visitors' center, care and treatment enclosures, and large open area where desert animals are acclimated before re-introduction into the wild. Hai-Bar efforts have successfully re-introduced the Asian wild ass, or [[onager]], into the [[Negev]].<ref name="Hai">{{cite web|url=http://redseadesert.com/html/060haibar.html |title=Hai-Bar Yotvata Nature Reserve |access-date=November 16, 2007 |publisher=The Red Sea Desert |year=2007 |author=The Red Sea Desert |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080929014355/http://redseadesert.com/html/060haibar.html |archive-date=September 29, 2008 }}</ref> The Hai-Bar Nature Reserve and animal re-introduction program were described in Bill Clark's book "High Hills and Wild Goats: Life Among the Animals of the Hai-Bar Wildlife Refuge". The book also describes life in Eilat and the surrounding area.<ref name="Goats">{{cite web|url=http://www.melbabooks.com/misc/wildgoats.html|title=High Hills and Wild Goats: Life Among the Animals of the Hai-Bar Wildlife Refuge|publisher=Little Brown and Company; 1st edition|year=1989|author=Bill clark|access-date=2009-10-02|archive-date=2010-11-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101109011426/http://www.melbabooks.com/misc/wildgoats.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Marina]], with some 250 yacht berths
*[[Timna Valley Park]], the oldest copper mines in the world; Egyptian temple of Hathor, King Solomon's Pillars sandstone formation, ancient pit mines and [[rock art]]<ref name="Timna">{{cite web|url=http://www.bibleplaces.com/timnavalley.htm|title=Timna Valley|access-date=November 16, 2007|publisher=BiblePlaces.com|year=2007|author=BiblePlaces.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117232546/http://www.bibleplaces.com/timnavalley.htm|archive-date=November 17, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>
*"What's Up", a portable astronomical [[observatory]] with programs in the desert and on the promenade<ref>{{cite web |url=http://whatsup.eilatnature.com/ |title="What's Up" Observatory in Eilat |publisher=Whatsup.eilatnature.com |access-date=January 28, 2011 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721134744/http://whatsup.eilatnature.com/ |archive-date=July 21, 2012 }}</ref>
*Ice Mall, ice skating rink and shopping mall

===Dive tourism===
[[File:The Underwater Observatory in Eilat.jpg|thumb|Coral World Underwater Observatory]]
[[File:Fish Eilat.jpg|thumb|Eilat sea]]

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 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.<ref name="MFA"/>  About 250,000 dives are performed annually in Eilat's {{convert|11|km|sigfig=2|abbr=on}} coastline, and diving represents 10% of the tourism income of this area.<ref>Artificial Reefs and Dive Tourism in Eilat, Israel Dan Wilhelmsson, Marcus C. Öhman, Henrik Ståhl and Yechiam Shlesinger Ambio, Vol. 27, No. 8, Building Capacity for Coastal Management (Dec., 1998), pp. 764–766 Published by: Allen Press on behalf of Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences [https://www.jstor.org/stable/4314831] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160527082619/http://www.jstor.org/stable/4314831|date=2016-05-27}}</ref>  In addition, given the proximity of many of these reefs to the shore, non-divers can encounter the Red Sea's reefs with relative ease.<ref name="MFA">{{cite web|url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%20Process/Regional%20Projects/Gulf%20of%20Aqaba-%20Tourism|title=MFA, Gulf of Aqaba- Tourism, 30 Sep 1997|publisher=Mfa.gov.il|access-date=January 28, 2011|archive-date=12 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012161917/http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace%20Process/Regional%20Projects/Gulf%20of%20Aqaba-%20Tourism|url-status=live}}</ref> Water conditions for SCUBA divers are good all year round, with water temperatures around {{Convert|21|–|25|C|F}}, with little or no currents and clear waters with an average of {{Convert|20|–|30|m|ft|abbr=off}} visibility.

=== Museums ===
* [[Eilat City Museum]]
* [[Eilat Art Gallery]]

===Film===
Eilat has been utilized by film and television productions – domestic and foreign – for location shooting since 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 (1965 film)|She]]'', ''[[Madron (film)|Madron]]'', ''[[Ashanti (1979 film)|Ashanti]]'' and ''[[Rambo III]]''.

==Archaeology==
Despite harsh conditions, the region has supported large populations as far back as 8,000 BCE.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} Several [[Neolithic]] sites have been discovered in Eilat in its vicinity. One of them is a late Neolithic burial site with [[fan scraper]]s, dated by archaeologists to 5410–4250 BCE.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Smith |first1=Andrew M. |last2=Stevens |first2=Michelle |last3=Niemi |first3=Tina M. |date=February 1997 |title=The Southeast Araba Archaeological Survey: A Preliminary Report of the 1994 Season |url=https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.2307/1357745 |journal=Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research |language=en |volume=305 |issue=305 |pages=51 |doi=10.2307/1357745 |jstor=1357745 |issn=0003-097X|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Exploration of ancient sites began in 1861, but only 7% of the area has undergone serious [[Archaeological field survey|archaeological excavation]]. Some 1,500 ancient sites are located in a {{convert|1200|km2|sqmi|adj=on|sp=us}} 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.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

==Notable people==
[[File:Shahar z.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Shahar Tzuberi]]]]

* [[Shawn Dawson]] (born 1993), basketball player
* [[Gadi Eizenkot]] (born 1960), Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces
* [[Eden Harel]] (born 1976), actress
* [[Amit Ivry]] (born 1989), Olympic swimmer and national record holder
* [[Karolina (singer)|Keren Karolina Avratz]] (born 1971), singer, songwriter
* [[Shaul Mofaz]] (born 1948), former Minister of Defense, former Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces
* [[Ziki Shaked]] (born 1955), first Israeli ship's captain to go around the world under the Israeli flag, from Eilat to Eilat
* [[Eyal Zamir]] (born 1966), Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces
* [[Shahar Tzuberi]] (born 1986), Israeli Olympic bronze-medal-winning windsurfer, 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing
* [[Raviv Ullman]] (born 1986), [[Israeli-American]] actor, musician
* [[Ghil'ad Zuckermann]] (born 1971), linguist, with a focus on [[language revitalization]]

==Twin towns – sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Israel}}
Eilat is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web|title=ערים תאומות|url=http://www.eilat.muni.il/%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%AA%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%AA|website=eilat.muni.il|publisher=Eilat|language=he|access-date=2020-02-24|archive-date=2017-01-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170112130840/http://www.eilat.muni.il/%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%AA%D7%90%D7%95%D7%9E%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9C%D7%AA|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|MEX}} [[Acapulco]], Mexico
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Antibes]], France
*{{flagicon|CHL}} [[Arica]], Chile
*{{flagicon|RSA}} [[Durban]], South Africa
*{{flagicon|GER}} [[Kamen]], Germany
*{{flagicon|NED}} [[Kampen, Overijssel|Kampen]], Netherlands
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Karlovy Vary]], Czech Republic
*{{flagicon|USA}} [[Los Angeles]], United States
*{{flagicon|LTU}} [[Palanga]], Lithuania
*{{flagicon|SVK}} [[Piešťany]], Slovakia
<!--Smolyan - twinning ended-->
*{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Sopron]], Hungary
*{{flagicon|ITA}} [[Sorrento]], Italy
*{{flagicon|UKR}} [[Yalta]], Ukraine
*{{flagicon|CHN}} [[Yinchuan]], China
*{{flagicon|ARG}} [[Ushuaia]], Argentina 
{{div col end}}

Eilat has streets named after [[Antibes]], [[Durban]], [[Kamen]], [[Kampen, Overijssel|Kampen]] and [[Los Angeles]] as well as a Canada Park.

== Panoramic views ==
{{wide image|Eilat Coastline At Night.jpg|1000px|Eilat coastline at night}}
{{wide image|EilatBay ST 07.JPG|1000px|Panorama of the [[Eilat Mountains]]}}

==See also==
* [[Bnei Eilat F.C.]]
* [[Eilat Pride]]
* [[Eilat Sports Center]]
* [[Eilat stone]]
* [[Hapoel Eilat B.C.]]
* [[Operation Ovda]]
* [[Red Sea Jazz Festival]]
* [[Yotvata Airfield]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Eilat}}
* [http://www.redseaeilat.com/ Eilat + official tourism website of the city of Eilat]
* [http://www.eilat.muni.il/ Official city site] {{in lang|he}}
* [http://www.themadtraveleronline.com/travel-tips/how-to-cross-from-israel-to-jordan-or-jordan-to-israel/ Crossing the Israel – Jordan Border]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20050506195901/http://eilatnature.com/ Eilat Tourist directory]}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060623220205/http://w3.castup.net/jfa/filmsscreen.asp?ai=148&ar=CMID23143 A film about Eilat in 1960 commentary] {{in lang|he}}
* [http://www.pbase.com/rdavid/eilat Photos of Eilat]
* [http://www.inisrael.com/tour/eilat/index.html Tourism city guide site]
* [http://eilat-today.com/ Eilat Today, a magazine of current affairs]
* [http://www.wysinfo.com/Migratory_Birds/Birding_in_Eilat_1.htm Birding in Eilat]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160923041724/http://www.divingindex.com/diving/eilat/ Scuba Diving in Eilat with descriptions of dive sites]

{{Southern District (Israel)}}
{{Largest Israeli cities}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Eilat| ]]
[[Category:1951 establishments in Israel]]
[[Category:Cities in Southern District (Israel)]]
[[Category:Hebrew Bible cities]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1951]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns of the Red Sea]]
[[Category:Port cities and towns in Israel]]
[[Category:Spa towns in Israel]]