HISTORY & CULTURE
Aqaba's long history dates back to pre-biblical times, when it was known as Ayla. According to the Bible's Old Testament, King Solomon built a navel base at Ezion Geber, just 3 kilometres from where the modern town of Aqaba stands today.
From 106 AD, the Romans, who ruled the region from their base in Sypria, also used Ayla as their trading sea port, until it came under the control of the Byzantine Empire in the early 4th century. The Byzantines appointed Christian Arabs from south Arabia to rule the port city on their behalf.
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Saladin's Castle on Far'un island.
| The Middle Ages were turbulent years for Ayla. In the 12th century, the crusaders captured the city. They built a fort on Far'un island, known then as Ile de Graye, 7 kilometres offshore. Ayla was then retaken by Saladin and the fort became known as Saladin's Castle. In a counter-attack, the notorious crusader, Reynald de Chatillon, took the island, but lost it again to Muslim forces the following year.
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T.E. Lawrence.
| When the Mameluk Sultans of Egypt took control of the region, they renamed the city Aqaba and, in the 14th century, built the town's famous Mameluk fort. The Mameluks were followed by the Ottomans, who ruled Aqaba for 4 centuries.
Aqaba was taken from the Ottomans, in 1917, by Arab forces together with T.E. Lawrence. At the end of the 1st World War, the British secured Aqaba for Jordan.
The Aqaba Archaeological Museum
The Aqaba Region Archaeological Museum is located in the Aqaba house of Sherif Hussein Bin Ali next to the Aqaba Castle.
The museum was opened to the public in 1990. Presently it houses an important collection from the Islamic site of Ayla, dated to the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid and Fatimid periods, thus representing the Islamic periods from the mid-seventh to the beginning of the twelfth century AD.
Among the exhibits is a Kufic inscription of "Ayat al-Kursi" from the Holy Qu'ran, which surmounted the eastern (Egypt) gate of the city, and a hoard of gold Fatimied dinars minted at Sajilmasa in Morocco.
Aqaba is presently Jordan's only seaport. Its significant position on the eastern tip of the Red Sea is important for marine and overland trade routes between Syria and the Arabian Peninsula, in addition to its being an import station on Hajj route. Finds from the Ayla excavations originating in the Hijaz, Yemen, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco and even as far a field as China testify to its vitality as a seaport.
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Aqaba's reef is alive with untold variety in its coral and fish. Common species are branch coral, fungia and montipora, and the rare archelia, a black, tree-like specimen found at great depths and first discovered by King Hussein himself.
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Food is a very important part of the Arab culture and is used to express friendship, generosity and hospitality. Jordanians are proud to host visitors at their home, no matter how modest their means. If you are lucky enough to be invited, you are not expected to bring anything but you are expected to eat everything!
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The Mameluk Fort, one of the main historical landmarks of Aqaba, was originally a Crusader Castle It was rebuilt by the Mameluks in the sixteenth century. Square in shape and flanked by semicircular towers, the fort is marked with various inscriptions marking the latter period of the Islamic dynasty.
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The city of Aqaba is situated at the most southern part of Jordan and lies on the most northern tip of the Red Sea, on a clear day you can see Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
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An economic 'Free Zone' was established in Aqaba in August 2000. It covers one million square meters, although an additional 2.5 million square meters has been allocated for the purpose of establishing industrial projects. Goods traded in the Free Zone are exempt of duty. For more information please visit www.aqabazone.com.
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