Eilat Mountains

Eilat Mountains
Eilat Mountains reflection in the Gulf of Aqaba, 2007
Highest point
Elevation	899 m (2,949 ft)
Coordinates	29°40′02″N 34°54′51″E
Geography
Eilat Mountains Southern Negev, Israel
Geology
Mountain type	Igneous rock

The Eilat Mountains (Hebrew: הרי אילת Harei Eilat) are a mountain range within the southern Negev in southern Israel.^[1] The ranges of the Timna Valley belong to the Eilat Mountains.^[2] Among the central block of mountains, Mount Hezekiah is the highest, followed by Mount Solomon. The mountains overlook the Gulf of Aqaba, which is part of the Red Sea.

The rock formations in the Eilat mountains are a mix of granite, limestone, and sandstone, that can be described as "extremely colorful".^[3]

Etymology

The mountain range is named after the nearby city of Eilat and the biblical name of the city Eilot (Eiloth), situated where today the city of Aqaba (Jordan) is located.

Neighboring countries

From the top of Mt. Tzfachot, in the southern tip of the mountain range, visitors may see Egyptian land (via the Sinai Peninsula) when looking southwestward. Visitors looking eastward, across the Gulf of Aqaba, may also see Jordanian land. On clear days, as well, Saudi Arabia can be seen, looking southeastward (also across the Gulf of Aqaba).

In the background, Egypt can be seen from Mt. Tzfachot, July 2013

From atop Mount Tzfachot looking south. Israel in the foreground and in the background - the Egyptian western coast of the gulf: the city of Taba and Pharaoh's Island.

Fauna

The ridge of the Eilat Mountains along the western side of the southern Arava Valley forms part of a 60,000 ha Important Bird Area (IBA), as designated by BirdLife International. This area is a vital migration route for over 420 bird species, especially during the spring and autumn migrations. Notably, 1.2 million raptors have been counted in a single spring season, underscoring the area's significance for bird migration. Bird species such as the European honey buzzard, black kite, Levant sparrowhawk, steppe buzzard, and steppe eagle are prevalent. The migration of great white pelicans and black storks is also significant in this region.^[4]

Mammalian inhabitants include the Desert pipistrelle (bat), lesser mouse-tailed bat, Arabian wolf, Blanford's fox^[5] , fennec fox, caracal, sand cat, Nubian ibex, mountain gazelle, and Dorcas gazelle.

References

1. Karst Hydrology: Proceedings of an International Workshop (Workshop W2) Held at Rabat, Morocco, During the Fifth Scientific Assembly of the International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) : from 23 April to 3 May, 1997. International Association of Hydrological Sciences. 1998. p. 146. ISBN 1901502406.
2. Biological Resources and Migration. Springer Science & Business Media. 2013. p. 363. ISBN 3662060833.
3. Loren Chemla. "Hiking in Eilat mountains". Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
4. "Southern Arava valley and Elat mountains". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
5. Geffen, Eli; Hefner, Reuven; Macdonald, David W.; Ucko, Michal (26 May 1992). "Diet and Foraging Behavior of Blanford's Foxes, Vulpes cana, in Israel". Journal of Mammalogy. 73 (2): 395–402. doi:10.2307/1382074.