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Welcome to the city by the Sea. Aqaba is the only port-city in Jordan at the shores of the ever-famous Red Sea. The Gulf of Aqaba lends its waters to Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The location of the city has been inhabited for centuries because of the access to trade routes between Europe, Asia and Africa. The early settlers were the Edomites and the Nabataeans. It was later under Greek and Roman rule and in 106 AD was one of the main ports of the Romans. To the Romans it was called Ayla and Aelana. After Roman rule, the city passed through the Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, and Mamluk dynasties. In the early Islamic era, the city of Ayla was constructed. The city’s ruins lie just offshore, north of the main waterfront road. Reference of the city of Ayla was mentioned in the stories of Arabian Nights in Sinbad’s adventures. In the 12th century, the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem controlled the area and built the fortress of Helim, which is still well-preserved. During WWI the Turks were forced to pull out the city at the Battle of Aqaba, when British officer T.E. Lawrence and the Arab forces of Sharif Hussein raided the city. In 1965, King Hussein of Jordan traded 6,000 sq km of desert land to Saudi Arabia and gained 12 km of coastline south of Aqaba. The exchanges of land lead to the expansion of the Aqaba port (main exports of phosphates and shells) and access to beautiful coral reefs. Aqaba receives daily cruise liners from the sea, has the Hussein International Airport, and is a 10-15 minute drive to the Saudi and Israeli borders. Today Aqaba is most famous for its magnificent coral reefs, prime scuba diving, sunny beaches, and oriental marketplaces.
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