Arabah
Encyclopedia
The Arabah also known as Aravah, is a section of the Great Rift Valley
running in a north-south orientation between the southern end of the Sea of Galilee
(as the Jordan river valley) down to the Dead Sea
and continuing further south where it ends at the Gulf of Aqaba
. It includes most of the border between Israel
to the west and Jordan
to the east. Many modern geographers no longer acknowledge the northern section, between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee to be part of the Arabah, but in antiquity up to the early 20th century this full expanse of Rift Valley was all considered part of the Arabah.
The hottest, southern stretch of the Arabah is 166 km (103.1 mi) in length from the Gulf of Aqaba to the southern shore of the Dead Sea. Topographically, the region is divided into three sections. From the Gulf of Aqaba northward, the land gradually rises over a distance of 77 km (47.8 mi), and reaches a height of 230 m (754.6 ft) above sea level, which represents the watershed divide
between the Dead Sea and Red Sea
. From this crest, the land slopes gently northward over the next 74 km (46 mi) to a point 15 km (9.3 mi) south of the Dead Sea. In the last section, the Arabah drops steeply to the Dead Sea, which at 417 m (1,368.1 ft) below sea level, is the lowest point on earth (and historically falling).
The southern Arabah is very hot and dry and virtually without rain; consequently, it is only lightly populated. The Jordanian administrative district of Wadi Araba is reported to have a population of 6775, with an additional 96,000 in Aqaba
itself. Five major tribes comprise eight settlements on the Jordanian side. These tribes are: Al-S'eediyeen , Al-Ihewat (الإحيوات), Al-Ammareen (العمارين), Al-Rashaideh (الرشايدة), and Al-Azazmeh (العزازمة), as well as smaller tribes of the Al-Oseifat (العصيفات), Al-Rawajfeh (الرواجفة), Al-Manaja'h (المناجعة), and Al-Marzaqa (المرزقة), among others. The main economic activities for these Arabah residents revolve around herding sheep, agriculture, handicrafts, and the Jordanian Army.
On the Israeli side there are a few kibbutz
im and moshav
im. The oldest kibbutz in the Arava is Yotvata
, founded in 1957, and named for an ancient town in the area mentioned once in the Bible. Kibbutz Lotan
, which is one of Israel's newest kibbutzim, has a bird-watching center. The oldest Moshav in the central Arava area is Ein Yahav
.
In Biblical times the area was a center of copper production; King Solomon apparently had mines here. The Arabah was home to the Edom
ites (Edom was called "Idumea" in Roman times). East of the Arabah was the domain of the Nabateans, the builders of the city of Petra
.
The Israel–Jordan Peace Treaty was signed in the Arabah on October 26, 1994.
The governments of Jordan and Israel are now promoting development of the region. There is a plan to bring sea water from the Red Sea
to the Dead Sea
through a canal (Red–Dead Seas Canal
), which follows along the Arabah. This (long envisioned) project was once an issue of dispute between Jordan and Israel, but it was recently agreed that the project shall be constructed on and by the Jordanian side.
, which is famous among rock climbers, hikers, campers, and lovers of the outdoors.
Wadi Feynan Eco-Lodge, opened in Feynan, Jordan in 2005 by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
, is a candle-lit eco-lodge situated deep in the Arabah's remote landscape.
There are numerous species of flora and fauna in the Aravah Valley. Notably the Caracal
, Caracal caracal, is found on savannah
s of the Aravah Valley.
The total population of the Jordaninan portion of the region is 103,000, of which 96,000 live in Aqaba
.
The population of the Israeli portion is 52,000, of which 47,500 live in Eilat, and just over 5,000 live in 20 small towns north of Eilat, the largest of which being Yotvata
with a population of 610. The Israeli residents of the region are almost entirely Jews
.
Great Rift Valley
The Great Rift Valley is a name given in the late 19th century by British explorer John Walter Gregory to the continuous geographic trench, approximately in length, that runs from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in South East Africa...
running in a north-south orientation between the southern end of the Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
(as the Jordan river valley) down to the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
and continuing further south where it ends at the Gulf of Aqaba
Gulf of Aqaba
The Gulf of Aqaba is a large gulf located at the northern tip of the Red Sea. In pre twentieth-century and modern sources it is often named the Gulf of Eilat, as Eilat is its predominant Israeli city ....
. It includes most of the border between Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to the west and Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
to the east. Many modern geographers no longer acknowledge the northern section, between the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee to be part of the Arabah, but in antiquity up to the early 20th century this full expanse of Rift Valley was all considered part of the Arabah.
The hottest, southern stretch of the Arabah is 166 km (103.1 mi) in length from the Gulf of Aqaba to the southern shore of the Dead Sea. Topographically, the region is divided into three sections. From the Gulf of Aqaba northward, the land gradually rises over a distance of 77 km (47.8 mi), and reaches a height of 230 m (754.6 ft) above sea level, which represents the watershed divide
Water divide
A drainage divide, water divide, divide or watershed is the line separating neighbouring drainage basins...
between the Dead Sea and Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. From this crest, the land slopes gently northward over the next 74 km (46 mi) to a point 15 km (9.3 mi) south of the Dead Sea. In the last section, the Arabah drops steeply to the Dead Sea, which at 417 m (1,368.1 ft) below sea level, is the lowest point on earth (and historically falling).
The southern Arabah is very hot and dry and virtually without rain; consequently, it is only lightly populated. The Jordanian administrative district of Wadi Araba is reported to have a population of 6775, with an additional 96,000 in Aqaba
Aqaba
Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
itself. Five major tribes comprise eight settlements on the Jordanian side. These tribes are: Al-S'eediyeen , Al-Ihewat (الإحيوات), Al-Ammareen (العمارين), Al-Rashaideh (الرشايدة), and Al-Azazmeh (العزازمة), as well as smaller tribes of the Al-Oseifat (العصيفات), Al-Rawajfeh (الرواجفة), Al-Manaja'h (المناجعة), and Al-Marzaqa (المرزقة), among others. The main economic activities for these Arabah residents revolve around herding sheep, agriculture, handicrafts, and the Jordanian Army.
On the Israeli side there are a few kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
im and moshav
Moshav
Moshav is a type of Israeli town or settlement, in particular a type of cooperative agricultural community of individual farms pioneered by the Labour Zionists during the second aliyah...
im. The oldest kibbutz in the Arava is Yotvata
Yotvata
-External links:*...
, founded in 1957, and named for an ancient town in the area mentioned once in the Bible. Kibbutz Lotan
Lotan (kibbutz)
Lotan is a Reform kibbutz in the Arabah Valley in the Negev desert in southern Israel. It was founded in 1983 as Yahel Bet by twenty Israeli and twenty American youths. The current name derives from "one of the sons of Seir". The kibbutz currently serves as location for eco-tourism and...
, which is one of Israel's newest kibbutzim, has a bird-watching center. The oldest Moshav in the central Arava area is Ein Yahav
Ein Yahav
Ein Yahav is a moshav in Israel. Located in the northern Arava, 12km south of Hatzeva, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Central Arava Regional Council. It is named after Ein Yahav , southwest of the moshav...
.
In Biblical times the area was a center of copper production; King Solomon apparently had mines here. The Arabah was home to the Edom
Edom
Edom or Idumea was a historical region of the Southern Levant located south of Judea and the Dead Sea. It is mentioned in biblical records as a 1st millennium BC Iron Age kingdom of Edom, and in classical antiquity the cognate name Idumea was used to refer to a smaller area in the same region...
ites (Edom was called "Idumea" in Roman times). East of the Arabah was the domain of the Nabateans, the builders of the city of Petra
Petra
Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...
.
The Israel–Jordan Peace Treaty was signed in the Arabah on October 26, 1994.
The governments of Jordan and Israel are now promoting development of the region. There is a plan to bring sea water from the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
to the Dead Sea
Dead Sea
The Dead Sea , also called the Salt Sea, is a salt lake bordering Jordan to the east and Israel and the West Bank to the west. Its surface and shores are below sea level, the lowest elevation on the Earth's surface. The Dead Sea is deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world...
through a canal (Red–Dead Seas Canal
Two Seas Canal
The Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal is a proposed canal which would run from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea and provide electricity and potable water to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. This proposal has a major role in plans for economic cooperation between Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians,...
), which follows along the Arabah. This (long envisioned) project was once an issue of dispute between Jordan and Israel, but it was recently agreed that the project shall be constructed on and by the Jordanian side.
Natural history
The Arabah is very scenic; there are colorful cliffs and sharp-topped mountains. Israel's Timna Valley Park is notable for its prehistoric rock carvings, some of the oldest copper mines in the world, and a convoluted cliff called King Solomon's pillars. On the Jordanian side is the famous Wadi RumWadi Rum
Wadi Rum also known as The Valley of the Moon is a valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in south Jordan at to the east of Aqaba. It is the largest wadi in Jordan. The name Rum most likely comes from an Aramaic root meaning 'high' or 'elevated'. To reflect its proper Arabic...
, which is famous among rock climbers, hikers, campers, and lovers of the outdoors.
Wadi Feynan Eco-Lodge, opened in Feynan, Jordan in 2005 by the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
The Royal Society for The Conservation of Nature is an independent voluntary organization devoted to the conservation of Jordan's natural resources established in 1966 under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Noor with the late King Hussein as Honorary President.RSCN has the mission of protecting...
, is a candle-lit eco-lodge situated deep in the Arabah's remote landscape.
There are numerous species of flora and fauna in the Aravah Valley. Notably the Caracal
Caracal
The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...
, Caracal caracal, is found on savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
s of the Aravah Valley.
Jordanian localities
Below is a list of Jordanian population clusters in Wadi Araba:- AqabaAqabaAqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
- Feifa
- Safi
- Al Mazraa
The total population of the Jordaninan portion of the region is 103,000, of which 96,000 live in Aqaba
Aqaba
Aqaba is a coastal city in the far south of Jordan, the capital of Aqaba Governorate at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba. Aqaba is strategically important to Jordan as it is the country's only seaport. Aqaba is best known today as a diving and beach resort, but industrial activity remains important...
.
Israeli localities
Below is a list of Israeli localities in the Arava, from north to south (excluding Eilat which is actually the southmost).- Eilat
- Ein TamarEin TamarEin Tamar is a moshav in the northern Arabah valley in Israel. Located south of the Dead Sea, it falls under the jurisdiction of Tamar Regional Council.It was established in August 1982 by 24 families....
- Neot HaKikarNeot HaKikarNeot HaKikar is a moshav in the northern Arabah valley in Israel. Located south of the Dead Sea, it falls under the jurisdiction of Tamar Regional Council....
- Ir OvotIr OvotIr Ovot , was an agricultural cooperative in Israel 1967–1980s, located in the northeastern Negev's Arava region, and still refers to a small, group of homes near New Ein Hatzeva....
- IdanIdanIdan is a moshav in Arava region of southern Israel. It belongs to the Central Arava Regional Council.It was founded in 1980 by immigrants to Israel from Canada, the United States and South Africa, who organized for the effort in 1976. It is named for Idan Stream, which flows near the moshav. This...
- Ein HatzevaEin HatzevaEin Hatzeva is a moshav in the central Arava valley in Israel. Located south of the Dead Sea, it falls under the jurisdiction of Tamar Regional Council....
- Ein YahavEin YahavEin Yahav is a moshav in Israel. Located in the northern Arava, 12km south of Hatzeva, it falls under the jurisdiction of the Central Arava Regional Council. It is named after Ein Yahav , southwest of the moshav...
- SapirSapir, IsraelSapir is a communal settlement near Route 90 in southern Israel. It belongs to the Central Arava Regional Council. It was founded in 1978 and is named after Pinchas Sapir....
- TzofarTzofarTzofar is a moshav in southern Israel, near Route 90, about 120 km north of Eilat. It lies south of Sapir and north of Tzukim. It belongs to the Central Arava Regional Council. In 2005 it had a population of about 300. The name derives from the nearby Tzofar stream and is also referring to...
- TzukimTzukimTzukim , also Zuqim, is a communal settlement in southern Israel. Located in the Arava, 8km south of Tzofar, it falls under jurisdiction of the Central Arava Regional Council. Tzukim was founded in 2001 on land vacated by the Bildad army camp. Bildad also served as a transit point for new...
- Paran
- YahelYahelYahel may refer to:* Yahel, a kibbutz near Eilat in the far south of Israel* Yahel Castillo , Mexican diver* Yahel Sherman , trance producer and DJ from Israel* Yinon Yahel...
- Neot SmadarNeot SmadarNeot Semadar , formerly Shizafon , is a kibbutz located in the Arava in southern Israel. it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Eilot Regional Council.-History:...
- Neve HarifNeve HarifNeve Harif is a kibbutz in southern Israel. Located in the Arabah valley near Eilat, it falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Eilot Regional Council. In 2008 it had a population of 127.-History:...
- Lotan
- Ketura
- GrofitGrofitGrofit ) is a kibbutz near Eilat in the Arabah region in the far south of Israel. It falls under the jurisdiction of Hevel Eilot Regional Council.-History:...
- YotvataYotvata-External links:*...
- Samar
- Elifaz
- Be'er OraBe'er OraBe'er Ora is a communal settlement near Eilat in the far south of Israel. It belongs to the Hevel Eilot Regional Council. It is located in the Arava region, just west of Highway 90, north of kibbutz Eilot, and south of Elifaz and Timna Park...
- Eilot
The population of the Israeli portion is 52,000, of which 47,500 live in Eilat, and just over 5,000 live in 20 small towns north of Eilat, the largest of which being Yotvata
Yotvata
-External links:*...
with a population of 610. The Israeli residents of the region are almost entirely Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
.
See also
- Wadi Araba CrossingWadi Araba CrossingThe Wadi Araba Border Crossing is an international border crossing between Aqaba, Jordan and Eilat, Israel. Opened on August 8, 1994, it is currently one of three entry/exit points between the two countries that handles tourists....
- Sands of SamarSands of SamarThe Sands of Samar , also called the Samar sands or Samar sand dunes, are an expanse of sand dunes in the Arava region of southern Israel. Once encompassing an area of seven square kilometers, agricultural development and sand mining have reduced the sands to 2.3 square kilometers...
- Arava Institute for Environmental StudiesArava Institute for Environmental StudiesThe Arava Institute for Environmental Studies is an accredited academic program for undergraduate and graduate studies located at Kibbutz Ketura on the Israeli side of the Arava Valley. It seeks to train future leaders of the Middle East in environmental issues so that they will be able to...
External links
- WadiFeynan Eco-Lodge
- The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies
- Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature
- Wadi Araba Archaeological Research Project: Integrating Investigations of the Cultural Landscape of Wadi Araba since 1996. For Publications, see http://wadiaraba.tripod.com/waarpubs.htm
- Wadi Arabah Project: Crossing the Rift
- The Arava In Photos