Places in Jordan - Aqaba

The coastal city of Aqaba is both strikingly beautiful and refreshingly different from the dramatic desert scenery nearby. The clear blue waters of the Gulf of Aqaba stretch along the northern part of the Red Sea. 27 km of the shoreline belongs to Jordan and the rest is shared with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel. A boat ride to the centre of the Gulf provides the visitor with an outstanding view of all four countries.

Aqaba has been an important city since the fourth millennium BC. In the second century AD the Romans called it “Ayla”, the bride of the sea, and they established a very active port there to be used as a gate way to southern Arabia and to the Cape of Good Hope, Egypt and through the Arabian Gulf to India and China.

During the Byzantine period, several Christian churches existed until 636 and then it later became an important transit point for Muslim pilgrims from Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Jordan en route to Mecca and Medina.

In the 12th to 14th centuries, the castle of Aqaba was built to control the pilgrim routes. Later the city lost its importance as a trading centre when the Muslim caliphs moved the capital city to Damascus. The Ottomans controlled it until it was liberated in 1917 during the famous Arab revolt in which Lawrence of Arabia played a part.

By the mid 1950‘s Aqaba flourished as the only Jordanian outlet to the sea and by the 1980’s the city was important once again as a transit point.

Today’s visitor to Aqaba will see a city that is alive with trade, tourism and culture, recapturing its historical role but also providing many opportunities of experiencing the wonders of the Red Sea by boat or by diving into its clear waters. Aqaba also has much to offer the visitor who chooses to stay on dry land, with a myriad of shops, restaurants and excellent hotels.