Discover 8 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Aqaba (Jordan). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Aqaba Archaeological Museum, Aqaba Flagpole, and Tall Hujayrat Al-Ghuzlan. Also, be sure to include Aqaba Fortress in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Aqaba (Aqaba).
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Aqaba Archaeological Museum
Also known as: متحف آثار إقليم العقبة
Museum in Aqaba, Jordan. Aqaba Archaeological Museum is the official archaeological museum of the city of Aqaba in Jordan.[1]
Aqaba Flagpole
Also known as: سارية العقبة
Landmark in Aqaba, Jordan. The Aqaba Flagpole in Aqaba, Jordan is a 130 metres tall flagpole. This height makes it the 6th tallest free–standing and 7th tallest flagpole in the world. It was the tallest free–standing flagpole in the world until being surpassed by the 133 metres tall Ashgabat Flagpole in 2008. It carries the flag of the Arab Revolt commemorating the Battle of Aqaba that took place in 1917. The flagpole can be seen from Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. The flagpole was built in 2004 and opened on 3 October 2004.[2]
Tall Hujayrat Al-Ghuzlan
Also known as: حجيرة الغزلان
Tall Hujayrat Al-Ghuzlan is an archaeological site during the Chalcolithic period that lies 4 km north of modern-day Aqaba city in Jordan. Tall Hujayrat Al-Ghuzlan and the neighboring Tall Al-Magass site in Aqaba both have extensive evidence of significant copper production and trade in the region.[3]
Aqaba Fortress
Also known as: قلعة العقبة
Castle in Aqaba, Jordan. The Aqaba Castle or Aqaba Fort, also known as the Mamluk Castle of Aqaba, Jordan, is a Mamluk and Ottoman fortified caravanserai on the pilgrimage route to Mecca and Medina which, in its current form, dates back mainly to the 16th century. In the century preceding the First World War, it was used to a larger degree as a military stronghold.
In July 1916, the fortress was witness to a victory of the Arab Revolt, when this heavily defended Turkish stronghold fell to an Arab camel charge. Lawrence of Arabia rode triumphantly from here to Cairo to report the good news to General Allenby. The port of Aqaba became a major supply base for the advancing Arab Revolt.
The fort is located next to the Aqaba Flagpole, which carries the flag of the Arab revolt against the Ottomans. A building adjacent to the fort, which in 1917 served as Sharif Hussein's residence, now houses the Aqaba Archaeological Museum.[4]
Aqaba Church
Also known as: كنيسة العقبة
Historical landmark in Aqaba, Jordan. Aqaba Church is a historic 3rd-century church located in Aqaba, Jordan. It was unearthed in 1998 by a group of archaeologists and is considered to be the world's oldest-known purpose-built Christian church. Its first phase was dated between 293 and 303, which makes it older than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, both of which were built in the late 320s.
Its peripheral location within the Roman Empire is likely to have saved it from destruction during the Great Persecution that broke out just a few years after the church's construction.[5]
Port of Aqaba
Also known as: ميناء العقبة
The Port of Aqaba is the only port in Jordan, and is owned by Aqaba Development Corporation and has 12 terminals operated by five operators:the Aqaba Company for port management and operation; Aqaba Container Terminal; Industrial Port Company; phosphate Company; National Electricity power Company, and the pilotage operated by Aqaba port Marine Services Company.[6]
Fourth century Roman church
Also known as: العقبة
City in Jordan. Aqaba is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba. Situated in southernmost Jordan, Aqaba is the administrative centre of the Aqaba Governorate. The city had a population of 148,398 in 2015 and a land area of 375 square kilometres. Today, Aqaba plays a major role in the development of the Jordanian economy, through the vibrant trade and tourism sectors. The Port of Aqaba also serves other countries in the region.
Aqaba's strategic location at the northeastern tip of the Red Sea between the continents of Asia and Africa, has made its port important over the course of thousands of years.
The ancient city was called Elath, adopted in Latin as Aela and in Arabic as Ayla. Its strategic location and proximity to copper mines made it a regional hub for copper production and trade in the Chalcolithic period. Aela became a bishopric under Byzantine rule and later became a Latin Catholic titular see after Islamic conquest around AD 650, when it became known as Ayla; the name Aqaba is late medieval. The Great Arab Revolt's Battle of Aqaba, depicted in the film Lawrence of Arabia, resulted in victory for Arab forces over the Ottoman defenders.
Aqaba's location next to Wadi Rum and Petra has placed it in Jordan's golden triangle of tourism, which strengthened the city's location on the world map and made it one of the major tourist attractions in Jordan. The city is administered by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, which has turned Aqaba into a low-tax, duty-free city, attracting several mega projects like Ayla Oasis, Saraya Aqaba, Marsa Zayed and expansion of the Port of Aqaba. They are expected to turn the city into a major tourism hub in the region. However, industrial and commercial activities remain important, due to the strategic location of the city as the country's only seaport. The city sits right across the border from Eilat, likewise Israel's only port on the Red Sea. After the 1994 Israel Jordan Peace Treaty there were plans and hopes of establishing a trans-border tourism and economic area, but few of those plans have come to fruition.[7]
Barracuda Beach
