Taba Border Crossing
Encyclopedia
The Taba Border Crossing is an international border crossing between Taba
, Egypt
, and Eilat, Israel
. Opened on April 26, 1982 it is currently the only entry/exit point between the two countries that handles tourists. The site is at the bottom of Mount Tallul and was close to Raffi Nelson's Nelson Village and the Sonesta Hotel
which both closed due to the handing over of the Sinai to Egyptian control in exchange for normalization of relations. Under terms of the deal, Israelis would be able to visit the Red Sea coast from Taba
to Sharm el-Sheikh
(and St. Catherine's Monastery
) visa free for visits up to fourteen days. In 1999, the terminal handled a record amount of 1,038,828 tourists and 89,422 vehicles.
The terminal is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year except for the holidays of Eid ul-Adha
and Yom Kippur
.
3 million.
bus number 15 from Eilat's central bus station. Privately owned Israeli cars and rental cars may cross through the terminal. But rental cars from Israel may only stay in the confines of the Egyptian border terminal (this includes the parking lots of the Hilton Taba
and Mövenpick Taba Resort) while privately owned Israeli cars may travel within the Sinai after a change of license plates, registration and the payment of a tax.
Taba (Egypt)
Taba is a small Egyptian town near the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Taba is the location of Egypt's busiest border crossing with neighboring Israel. Little more than a bus depot and a luxury hotel , Taba is a frequent vacation spot for Egyptians and tourists, especially those from Israel on...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, and Eilat, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. Opened on April 26, 1982 it is currently the only entry/exit point between the two countries that handles tourists. The site is at the bottom of Mount Tallul and was close to Raffi Nelson's Nelson Village and the Sonesta Hotel
Hilton Taba
The Hilton Taba & Nelson Village , formerly the Sonesta Hotel and Kfar Nelson is a hotel in Taba, Egypt. Built in 1976, it was the stumbling block in negotiations between Israel and Egypt over the final border between the two countries...
which both closed due to the handing over of the Sinai to Egyptian control in exchange for normalization of relations. Under terms of the deal, Israelis would be able to visit the Red Sea coast from Taba
Taba (Egypt)
Taba is a small Egyptian town near the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. Taba is the location of Egypt's busiest border crossing with neighboring Israel. Little more than a bus depot and a luxury hotel , Taba is a frequent vacation spot for Egyptians and tourists, especially those from Israel on...
to Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000...
(and St. Catherine's Monastery
Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai
Saint Catherine's Monastery lies on the Sinai Peninsula, at the mouth of a gorge at the foot of Mount Sinai in the city of Saint Catherine in Egypt's South Sinai Governorate. The monastery is Orthodox and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site...
) visa free for visits up to fourteen days. In 1999, the terminal handled a record amount of 1,038,828 tourists and 89,422 vehicles.
The terminal is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year except for the holidays of Eid ul-Adha
Eid ul-Adha
Eid al-Adha or "Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid" is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a sheep— to sacrifice...
and Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
.
Israeli terminal
The Israeli border terminal was opened in September 1995 at a cost of US $United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3 million.
Services within the terminal
- Drive in stations for those traveling by car
- Change Place stand offering a money exchange
- James Richardson Duty Free shop
- Cafeteria
Transportation to and from the terminal
The Israeli border terminal can be reached from within Israel via EggedEgged Bus Cooperative
Egged Israel Transport Cooperative Society Ltd , a cooperative owned by its members is the largest transit bus company in Israel. It provides about 55 % of public transport services throughout the country, employs 6,227 workers and has 2,861 buses for more than 928 service routes and 3,103...
bus number 15 from Eilat's central bus station. Privately owned Israeli cars and rental cars may cross through the terminal. But rental cars from Israel may only stay in the confines of the Egyptian border terminal (this includes the parking lots of the Hilton Taba
Hilton Taba
The Hilton Taba & Nelson Village , formerly the Sonesta Hotel and Kfar Nelson is a hotel in Taba, Egypt. Built in 1976, it was the stumbling block in negotiations between Israel and Egypt over the final border between the two countries...
and Mövenpick Taba Resort) while privately owned Israeli cars may travel within the Sinai after a change of license plates, registration and the payment of a tax.
See also
- Eilat
- Eilat AirportEilat AirportEilat Airport , also known as J. Hozman Airport , is an Israeli airport located in the city of Eilat. It mostly handles domestic flights to Tel Aviv and Haifa with international flights operating instead to Ovda International Airport, but a few international flights on aircraft that can handle the...
- Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline CompanyEilat Ashkelon Pipeline CompanyThe Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline Company operates several petroleum and petroleum products pipelines in Israel, most notably the Eilat Ashkelon Pipeline. It also operates two oil terminal and depots in the country. The company was originally formed in 1968 as a 50/50% joint venture between Israel and...
- Eilot (kibbutz)
- Ezion-GeberEzion-GeberEzion-Geber or Asiongaber was a city of Idumea, a biblical seaport on the northern extremity of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the area of modern Aqaba and Eilat.-Biblical references :...
- Operation OvdaOperation OvdaOperation Uvda was an operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, from March 5 to March 10, 1949. It was the last campaign undertaken by the IDF during the war and its objective was to capture the southern Negev desert, which was claimed by the Kingdom of...
- Ovda International AirportOvda International AirportOvda Airport , is a military and civilian airport in Israel, and the country's second international airport, located in the south of the country about north of the city of Eilat...
- Port of EilatPort of EilatThe Port of Eilat is the only Israeli port on the Red Sea, located at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba.-History:The Port of Eilat opened in 1957 and is today mainly used for trading with Far East countries. It allows Israeli shipping to reach the Indian Ocean without having to sail through the...
- Yotvata AirfieldYotvata AirfieldYotvata Airfield is a small desert airfield in south Israel 40 km north of Eilat adjacent to Kibbutz Yotvata.The runway is currently in a state of disrepair...