Why visit Rafaḩ
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks in and around town.
Highlights include Rafah Museum and Tel Zourob.
Weather in Rafaḩ
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Rafaḩ
Rafah (Arabic: رفح, IPA: [ˈɾɑfɑħ]) is a city in North Sinai and Egypt's eastern border with the Gaza Strip, Palestine. It is the capital of Rafah center in North Sinai Governorate, and is situated on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Egypt.
From the Wikipedia article Rafah, Egypt (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Museums and landmarks3
Tel Zourob
Monument and historic site · 1.9 km
Location in Rafah within Gaza Strip
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Schools, colleges and libraries1
Healthcare2
History
When Israel withdrew from the Sinai in 1982, Rafah was split into a Gazan part and an Egyptian part, dividing families, separated by barbed-wire barriers. The core of the city was destroyed by Israel and Egypt to create a large buffer zone.
During the 2011 Egyptian protests, anti-government rioters attacked and killed three police officers in the town.
In October 2014, the Egyptian government announced plans to relocate the population and completely demolish the city in order to enlarge the buffer zone between Egypt and Gaza. Between July 2013 and August 2015, Egyptian authorities demolished at least 3,255 residential, commercial, administrative, and community buildings along the border, forcibly evicting thousands of people.
In June 2015 Egypt completed the digging of a ditch at the Rafah Crossing Point, 20 meters wide by 10 meters deep. It is located two kilometers from the border with Gaza outside of Rafah City and part of the enlarged buffer zone. Expansion of the trench along with watchtowers was planned.
In November 2021, Egypt and Israel signed an agreement that allows Egypt to increase its military presence in Rafah.
From the History section of Rafah, Egypt on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Map of Rafaḩ
6 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
El Gora Airport (EGH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 24 km away.
- Ash Shaykh Zuwayd 14 km southwest, about 14 min by car
- Arīsh 45 km west, about 45 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Rafah Crossing, gloucester2gaza, CC BY-SA 2.0
- TallRafah129J49, United Kingdom Government, British Mandate, Survey of Palestine, Public domain
- Light Horsemen rest their horses near Romani, Palestine, ca. 1916 (4040759025), State Library of Queensland, Australia, No restrictions
- July 3, 2010, Rafah, DYKT Mohigan, CC BY 2.0
Page built November 7, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.