The Holy Family walked from Bethlehem to Gaza to the Zaranik Protectorate (Al-Flusiyat) 37 km west of Al-Arish, and they entered Egypt via the northern side of the Farama (Pilusium) side, located between the cities of Al-Arish and Port Said.
Al-Farma is about 27 km east of the Suez Canal on the Qantara-Arish road, 25 km east of Port Said, about 35 km east of Qantara, and about 8 km northwest of the present village of Balooza. The city of Balooza took its name from the original ancient name Pilusium, and the ancient city of Pilusium covered an area of 3 km in length and one kilometer in width, and it is one of the largest and most famous archaeological sites in North Sinai. It is also the city which was located at the end of the mouth of the old Pelosi branch of the Nile, and thus became an important port and commercial center for the Asian countries. The Egyptian goods and products were transported there and then were taken by caravans to each of the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant and the rest of the northern countries. For this reason, civilizations of the East and West met there with their different currents and diverse culture.
In the Pharaonic era, Farma was called “Ba-Arment” and was called in the Roman era “Pilusium”, and this name is derived from “PELAU”, which means mud, because this area was surrounded by muddy swamps, and there are plains of mud still present near it. The bay on which Farma is located in the Mediterranean is called the “Gulf of Tina” and it was known by the name “Peremaun” meaning the house or temple of Amun. In the Coptic era it was known as “Birma” and in the Islamic era it was known as “Al-Farma”. Al-Farma represents the first city on the Horus Military Road in Sinai, which was used by the ancient Egyptians, especially after they expelled the remnants of the Hyksos and established their empire in Israel and Syria.
