It was seated near the eastern termination of the Royal canal, which communicated with the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, and which Ptolemy Philadelphus carried on from the Bitter Lakes to the head of the Heroopolite gulf.
The revenues of the Arsinoite nome were presented by that monarch to his wife (who was also his sister), Arsinoe II of Egypt, after whom the city was named, and remained the property of successive queens or princesses of the Lagid family, including one of the Cleopatra's who changed the name into Cleopatris.
The shortness of the road across the eastern desert and its position near the canal were the principal advantages of Arsinoe as a staple of trade.
But although it possessed a capacious bay, its access from the south was difficult due to the prevailing northern winds.
It is shown as a town occupied by Romans, who tear down ancient Egyptian monuments for use as building materials in 38 BC.