Aqaba

Coordinates: 29°31′55″N 35°00′20″E / 29.53194°N 35.00556°E / 29.53194; 35.00556
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Al Aqabah (disambiguation).

Aqaba
الْعَقَبَة
City
Clockwise from the left top: Aqaba's skyline, Aqaba Fort and Aqaba Fields, Al-Hammamat Al-Tunisyya Street in Down Town, Resort in Aqaba, Ayla old City, Aqaba Port, Aqaba Flagpole.
Clockwise from the left top: Aqaba's skyline, Aqaba Fort and Aqaba Fields, Al-Hammamat Al-Tunisyya Street in Down Town, Resort in Aqaba, Ayla old City, Aqaba Port, Aqaba Flagpole.
Nickname: 
The Bride of the Red Sea
Location of Aqaba
Aqaba is located in Jordan
Aqaba
Aqaba
Coordinates: 29°31′55″N 35°00′20″E / 29.53194°N 35.00556°E / 29.53194; 35.00556
Country Jordan
GovernorateAqaba Governorate
Founded4000 BC
Authority2001
Area
 • City375 km2 (145 sq mi)
Elevation
6 m (20 ft)
Population
 (2021)
 • City95,048 [1]
 • Density502/km2 (1,300/sq mi)
 • Urban
148,398
DemonymAqabawi
Time zone+2 Eastern European Standard Time
 • Summer (DST)+3 Arabia Standard Time
Postal code
77110
Area code+(962)3
Website

Aqaba (English:

Arabic: الْعَقَبَة, romanized: al-ʿAqaba, pronounced [ælˈʕæqɑba, ælˈʕæɡæba]) is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba.[4] Situated in southernmost Jordan, Aqaba is the administrative center of the Aqaba Governorate.[5] The city had a population of 148,398 in 2015 and a land area of 375 square kilometres (144.8 sq mi).[6] 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.[7]

Aqaba's strategic location at the northeastern tip of the

Great Arab Revolt's Battle of Aqaba resulted in victory for Arab forces over the Ottoman defenders.[10]

Aqaba's location next to

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.[15][16][17]

Name

The name of the city was anciently Elath, Ailath. The name is presumably derived from the Semitic name of a tree in the genus Pistacia.[18] Modern Eilat (established 1947), situated about 5 km north-west of Aqaba, also takes its name from the ancient settlement. In the Hellenistic period, it was renamed Berenice (in Greek Βερενίκη), but the original name survived, and under Roman rule was re-introduced in the forms Aila,[19] Aela or Haila, adopted in Byzantine Greek as Άιλα Aila and in Arabic as Ayla (آيلا).[20] The crusaders called the city Elyn.[21]

The present name al-ʿAqaba (العقبة) is a shortened from ʿaqabat Aylah (عقبة آيلة) "the mountain-pass of Ayla", first mentioned in the 12th century by Idrisi, at a time when the settlement had been mostly reduced to a military stronghold, properly referring to the pass just to the north-east of the settlement (29°33′32″N 35°05′42″E / 29.559°N 35.095°E / 29.559; 35.095, now traversed by Aqaba Highway).[22][23]

History

Main historical sites in the northern part of the Gulf of Aqaba

Nearby Chalcolithic sites

Tall Hujayrat Al-Ghuzlan excavations

Excavations at two tells (archaeological mounds) Tall Hujayrat Al-Ghuzlan and Tall Al-Magass, both a few kilometres north of modern-day Aqaba city, revealed inhabited settlements from c. 4000 BC during the Chalcolithic period, with thriving copper production on a large scale.[24] This period is largely unknown due to the absence of written historical sources.[8] University of Jordan archaeologists have discovered the sites, where they found[where?] a small building whose walls were inscribed with human and animal drawings, suggesting that the building was used as a religious site. The people who inhabited the site had developed an extensive water system in irrigating their crops which were mostly made up of grapes, olives and wheat. Several different-sized clay pots were also found suggesting that copper production was a major industry in the region, the pots being used in melting the copper and reshaping it. Scientific studies performed on-site revealed that it had undergone two earthquakes, with the latter one leaving the site completely destroyed.[25]

Early history

Elath

Further information: Elath

The Edomites, who ruled over Edom just south of the Dead Sea, are believed to have built the first port in Aqaba called Elath around 1500 BC,[citation needed] turning it into a major hub for the trade of copper as the Phoenicians helped them develop their maritime economy. They profited from its strategic location at the junction of trading routes between Asia and Africa.[citation needed]

Tell el-Kheleifeh

Archaeologists have investigated an Iron Age settlement at Tell el-Kheleifeh, immediately west of Aqaba, inhabited between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE.[26]

Undefined

Around 735 BC, the city[dubious – discuss] was conquered by the Assyrian empire. Because of the wars the Assyrians were fighting in the east, their trading routes were diverted to the city and the port witnessed relative prosperity. The Babylonians conquered it in 600 BC. During this time, Elath witnessed great economic growth, which is attributed to the business background of its rulers who realized how important the city's location was. The Persian Achaemenid Empire took the city in 539 BC.[27][unreliable source?][dubious – discuss]

Classical antiquity

Hellenistic period

Further information:
Ptolemaic Greeks called it Berenice.[28]

The

Nabatean kingdom had its capital north of the city, at Petra
.

Roman period

Via Nova Traiana

In 64 BC, following the Roman conquest, they[who?] annexed the city and called it Aela (also Haila, Aelana, in Greek rendered Αἴλα Aila).[29][26]

Both Petra and Aela were under strong

Bostra through Amman, terminating in Aela, where it connected with a west road leading to the Paralia and Roman Egypt
.

Around AD 106 Aela was one of the main ports[clarification needed] for the Romans.[30][dubious – discuss]

Late Roman and Byzantine periods

Further information:
Palaestina Tertia

The Aqaba Church was constructed under Roman rule between 293 and 303 and is considered to be the oldest known purpose-built Christian church in the world.[31] By the time of Eusebius, Aela became the garrison of the Legio X Fretensis, which was moved to Aela from Jerusalem.[32]

Aqaba Church from around AD 300

One of the oldest known texts written in the Arabic alphabet is a late 4th-century inscription found in Jabal Ram 50 kilometres (31 miles) east of Aqaba.[33]

The city became a

Palaestina Tertia, to the last-named of which Aela belonged.[35][36]

A citadel was also built in the area[where?][when?] that became the focal point of the Roman southern defense system.[clarification needed]

In the 6th century,

Procopius of Caesarea mentioned a Jewish population in Eilat and its surroundings which enjoyed autonomy until the time of Justinian I (r. 527–565).[clarification needed
]

According to Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad himself reached Aila during the expedition of Tabuk of 630, and extracted tribute from the city.[37]

During the Late Byzantine or even Early Muslim period, Aila was the origin of what came to be known as the Ayla-Axum amphoras.[38]

Early Muslim period

Aila fell to the

Arabic
: آيلا).

The Early Muslim city was excavated in 1986 by a team from the University of Chicago. Artefacts are now on exhibit at Aqaba Archaeological Museum and Jordan Archaeological Museum in Amman.[citation needed] The fortified city was inscribed in a rectangle of 170 × 145 meters, with walls 2.6 meters thick and 4.5 meters high, surrounding a fortified structure, occupying an area of 35 × 55 meters.[dubious – discuss][citation needed] 24 towers defended the city. The city had four gates on all four sides, defining two main lines intersecting at the centre. The intersection of these two thoroughfares was indicated by a tetrapylon (a four-way arch), which was later transformed into a luxury residential building decorated with frescoes dated to the tenth century.[citation needed] This type of urban structure, called MSIR,[clarification needed] is typical of early Islamic fortified settlements.

  • Early Muslim Ayla
    Early Muslim Ayla
  • Early Muslim Ayla
    Early Muslim Ayla

The city prospered from 661 to 750 under the

Arabian Nights.[citation needed
]

The geographer

Shams Eddin Muqaddasi describes Ayla as nearby the ruined ancient city.[40]

The city was mentioned in Medieval[when?] Arabic sources as having a mixed population of Jews and Christians. It subsequently became an important station for pilgrim caravans on the way to Mecca.[clarification needed][41]

Crusader/Ayyubid and Mamluk periods

The Muslim fortress of Aqaba

Baldwin I of Jerusalem took over the city in 1115 without encountering much resistance. The centre of the city then moved to 500 meters along the coast to the south, and the crusader fortress of Elyn was built, which allowed the Kingdom of Jerusalem to dominate all roads between Damascus, Egypt, and Arabia, protecting the Crusader states from the east and allowing for profitable raids on trade caravans passing through the area. In order to secure this strategic position, Baldwin also built and garrisoned a fortress on Pharaoh's Island (called Île de Graye by the Franks), the modern Jazīrat Fir'aun in Egyptian territorial waters about 7 kilometres (4 miles) west of Aqaba.[21]

The garrison of Elyn (now serving primarily as a military outpost) was further strengthened in 1142 by

Lord of Oultrejourdain, who pursued an ambitious program of castle building throughout his domain. However, there was no large-scale settlement of Europeans in the area, and the region between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba remained mainly inhabited by Bedouins, who were obliged to pay tribute to the Lordship of Oultrejourdain.[42] Despite all efforts to fortify the region, the city was captured in 1170 by a squadron sent by Saladin as he was besieging Gaza; while it was successfully raided by Raynald of Châtillon in 1182,[43] it was never retaken by the Crusaders.[44]

The old fort was rebuilt, as

Al-Ashraf Qansuh Al-Ghuri in the early 16th century. For the next four centuries, the site was a simple fishing village of little importance.[citation needed
]

Modern history

During World War I, the Ottoman forces were forced to withdraw from Aqaba in 1917 after the

Nejd with the help of his Wahhabi Ikhwan troops successfully annexed the Hejaz, but gave up the Ma'an and Aqaba to the British protectorate of Transjordan.[45]

  • Lawrence of Arabia on a camel in Aqaba in 1917
    Lawrence of Arabia
    on a camel in Aqaba in 1917
  • Aqaba in 1937
    Aqaba in 1937
  • 1822 area map by Eduard Rüppell, modern borders overlaid. His "Ruines d'Elana" is the site of Tell el-Kheleifeh.
    1822 area map by Eduard Rüppell, modern borders overlaid. His "Ruines d'Elana" is the site of Tell el-Kheleifeh.

The Jordanian census of 1961 found 8,908 inhabitants in 'Aqaba.[46]

In 1965,

Persian Gulf War.[48]

Geography

The city lies at Jordan's southernmost point, on the Gulf of Aqaba lying at the tip of the Red Sea. Its strategic location is shown in the fact that it is located at the crossroads of the continents of Asia and Africa, while bordering Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.[49]

Climate

Aqaba has a

hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with mild, sometimes warm winters and hot dry summers. Subzero temperatures can be observed every few years. The record low temperature of −3.9 °C (25.0 °F) was on January 16, 2008, as in Eilat
.

Climate data for Aqaba
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 20.5
(68.9) 		22.3
(72.1) 		25.9
(78.6) 		31.0
(87.8) 		35.3
(95.5) 		38.5
(101.3) 		40.0
(104.0) 		39.6
(103.3) 		36.7
(98.1) 		32.5
(90.5) 		27.0
(80.6) 		22.0
(71.6) 		30.9
(87.6)
Daily mean °C (°F) 14.9
(58.8) 		16.4
(61.5) 		19.7
(67.5) 		24.3
(75.7) 		28.3
(82.9) 		31.3
(88.3) 		33.1
(91.6) 		33.0
(91.4) 		30.5
(86.9) 		26.6
(79.9) 		21.2
(70.2) 		16.4
(61.5) 		24.6
(76.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 9.3
(48.7) 		10.5
(50.9) 		13.4
(56.1) 		17.6
(63.7) 		21.3
(70.3) 		24.0
(75.2) 		26.1
(79.0) 		26.3
(79.3) 		24.2
(75.6) 		20.6
(69.1) 		15.3
(59.5) 		10.8
(51.4) 		18.3
(64.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 4.5
(0.18) 		3.7
(0.15) 		3.4
(0.13) 		1.8
(0.07) 		1.0
(0.04) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		3.0
(0.12) 		2.4
(0.09) 		4.9
(0.19) 		24.7
(0.97)
Average precipitation days 2.0 1.4 1.5 0.8 0.5 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 0.9 1.9 9.6
Source: Jordan Meteorological Department

Local government

In August 2000, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (

ASEZA) was established which acted as the statutory institution empowered with administrative, fiscal, regulatory and economic responsibilities.[50]

Administrative divisions

Jordan is divided into 12 administrative divisions, each called a

Districts
, some of which are divided into Subdistricts and further divided into villages.

Economy

View of Aqaba
One of the many resorts in the city
Shatt Al-Ghandour gardens
The Red Sea Summit in Aqaba in 2003.

Benefiting from its location and status as Jordan's special economic zone, Aqaba's economy is based on the tourism and port industry sectors.[4][7] The economic growth in Aqaba is higher than the average economic growth in the country. Under the special economic zone status some investments and trades are exempted from taxation, as a result, new resorts, housing developments, and retail outlets are being constructed. New projects such as Tala Bay and Saraya al Aqaba are constructed aiming at providing high-end vacation and residential homes to locals and foreigners alike.

Aqaba's location next to

seaport.[14]

Over US$20 billion have been invested in Aqaba since 2001 when the Special Economic Zone was established. Along with tourism projects, Aqaba has also attracted global logistic companies such as APM Terminals and Agility to invest in logistics, which boosted the city's status as a transport and logistics hub. There are numerous hotels that reside in Aqaba but new hotels are also under construction.

Aqaba is the only seaport of Jordan so virtually all of Jordan's exports depart from here. Heavy machinery industry is also flourishing in the city with regional assembly plants being located in Aqaba such as the Land Rover Aqaba Assembly Plant. By 2008 the ASEZ had attracted $18bn in committed investments, beating its $6bn target by 2020 by a third and more in less than a decade. The goal was adjusted to bring in another $12bn by 2020, but in 2009 alone, deals worth $14bn were inked.[51] Some projects currently under construction are:

  • Marsa Zayed a $10 billion is the largest mega mixed-use development project ever envisioned in both Jordan and the region. Marsa Zayed will host facilities including residential neighborhoods, commercial outlets and amenities, entertainment venues, financial and business facilities, and a number of hotels. Additionally, the property will feature marinas and a cruise ship terminal. Marsa Zayed will encompass 6.4 million square meters of built-up property.
  • Saraya Aqaba, a $1.5 billion resort with a man made lagoon, luxury hotels, villas, and townhouses that will be completed by 2017.[needs update]
  • Ayla Oasis, a $1.5 billion resort around a man made lagoon with hotels, villas, an 18-hole golf course designed by Greg Norman. It also has an Arabian Venice theme with apartment buildings built along canals only accessible by walkway or boat. This project will be completed by 2017.
  • Tala Bay, Tala Bay was developed in a distinctive architectural style that blends Jordanian and regional architecture with total cost of US$680 million. Another distinguishing feature of this single community resort is its two-kilometer private sandy beach on the Red Sea.
  • The Red Sea Astrarium (TRSA)
    , the world's only Star Trek themed park, worth $1.5 billion would have been completed by 2014 but cancelled in 2015.
  • Port relocation. Aqaba's current port will be relocated to the southernmost part of the province near the Saudi border. Its capacity will surpass that of the current port. The project costs $5 billion, and it will be completed by 2013.
  • Aqaba will be connected by the national rail system which will be completed by 2013. The rail project will connect Aqaba with all Jordan's main cities and economic centers and several countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Syria.
  • The Aqaba Container Terminal (ACT) handled a record 587,530 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2008, an increase of 41.6% on the previous year. To accommodate the rise in trade on the back of the increasing popularity of container shipping and the stabilising political situation in Iraq, the Aqaba Development Corporation (ADC) has announced plans for a new port. The port relocation 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the south will cost an estimated $600m and will improve infrastructure, while freeing up space for development in the city. Plans for upgrading the King Hussein International Airport (KHIA) and the development of a logistics centre will also help position Aqaba as a regional hub for trade and transport.[51]

Tourism

View of Tala Bay resort south of Aqaba
Aqaba's coral reefs have made it one of the best diving spots in the world

Aqaba has a number of luxury hotels, including in the Tala Bay resort 20 km further to the south, which service those who come for fun on the beaches as well as Scuba diving. Aqaba offers more than thirty primary diving locations, with the majority of them accommodating divers of all skill levels. These diving sites comprise fringing reefs that extend for over 25 kilometers, reaching all the way to the border with Saudi Arabia.

It also offers activities which take advantage of its desert location. Its many coffee shops offer

Turkish Bath (Hamam)
built in 306 AD, in which locals and visitors alike come to relax after a hot day.

A beach in Aqaba.

In 2006, the Tourism Division of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (

ASEZA
) reported that the number of tourists visiting the Zone in 2006 rose to about 432,000, an increase of 5% over previous year. Approximately 65%, or 293,000 were Jordanians. Of foreign tourists, Europeans visited the Zone in the largest numbers, with about 98,000 visiting during the year. The division has financed tourism advertising and media campaigns with the assistance of the European Union.[52]

Aqaba has been chosen for the site of a new waterfront building project that would rebuild Aqaba with new man-made water structures, new high-rise residential and office buildings, and more tourist services to place Aqaba on the investment map and challenge other centers of waterfront development throughout the region.

Aqaba was chosen as the Arab Tourism City of 2011.[53][54][55][14]

During the 5-day holiday at both the end of

Eid Al-Adha, Jordanian and western expats flock into the city with numbers reaching up to 50,000 visitors. During this time the occupancy rate of most hotels there reaches as high as 90%, and are often fully booked.[56]

It is to be noted that the several development projects (i.e. Ayla, Saraya etc.) now taking place in Aqaba provide "opportunities of empowerment" for local populations that want to expand their agency within the city. According to Fulbright scholar Kimberly Cavanagh development projects will help exhibit the ways global- local partnerships and the resultant cultural exchanges,  can result in mutually beneficial outcomes.[57]

Demographics

The city of Aqaba has one of the highest population growth rates in Jordan in 2011, and only 44% of the buildings in the city had been built before 1990.[58] A special census for Aqaba city was carried by the Jordanian department of statistics in 2007, the total population of Aqaba by the census of 2007 was 98,400. The 2011 population estimate is 136,200. The results of the census compared to the national level are indicated as follows:

Demographic data of the city of Aqaba (2007) compared to Kingdom of Jordan nationwide[58]
Aqaba City (2007) Jordan (2004 census)
1 Total population 98,400 5,350,000
2 Growth rate 4.3% 2.3%
3 Male to Female ratio 56.1 to 43.9 51.5 to 48.5
4 Ratio of Jordanians to Foreign Nationals 82.1 to 17.9 93 to 7
5 Number of households 18,425 946,000
6 Persons per household 4.9 5.3
7 Percent of population below 15 years of age 35.6% 37.3%
8 Percent of population over 65 years of age 1.7% 3.2%

[6]

Religion

Mosque at Marsa Zayed

ِIslam represents the majority of the population of Aqaba, but Christianity still exists today. Approximately 5,000 Christian families live in the city.[59] There are several churches in the city and multiple Christian schools including Rosary Sisters School Aqaba.[60][61]

Cityscape

Skyline of Aqaba

Residential buildings in Aqaba are made up of 4 stories, of which are covered with sandstone or limestone. The city has no high-rises; however, Marsa Zayed project is planned to dramatically change that reality through the construction of several high-rise towers that host hotels, residential units, offices and clinics.

Culture

Museums

The largest museum in Aqaba is the Aqaba Archaeological Museum.

Lifestyle

Aqaba has recently experienced a great growth in its nightlife, especially during the dramatic increase of tourist number in the 2000s.[citation needed]

Cuisine

See also: Jordanian cuisine

The fact that the city is the only coastal city in Jordan has created a distinctive cuisine relative to other Jordanian cities. Main dishes include Sayadeyah, a combination of rice, fish and spices, a dish common among Arab coastal cities. Kishnah is fish, tomatoes and onions cooked together. Bukhari is made up of rice, meat, hummus beans, ghee and spices popular with wedding ceremonies. Aqabawi desserts include Al-Hooh, which consists of layers of pastry stuffed with nuts or dates that are then fried in ghee and dipped in sugar syrup. Dates and ghee, consisting of fresh dates dipped in ghee, is a simple dessert also commonly presented to guests.[62]

Transport

Rail

The

railway to Eilat is built, it might either be extended across the border to Jordan[63][64] or enable passengers traveling from Gush Dan
to Aqaba to cross the border via road transport.

Airports

Royal Jordanian Airlines and Jordan Aviation Airlines. Several international airlines connect the city to Istanbul, Dubai, Alexandria, Sharm el-Sheikh, and other destinations in Asia and Europe.[65] Since the 1994 Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan, there were plans to jointly develop airport infrastructure in the region.[66] However, when Israel built Ramon Airport only 10 km distant from King Hussein International Airport, this happened without consulting the Jordanian side, which caused a slight deterioration of bilateral relations between the two countries and concerns over the safety of having two airports so close together.[67][68]

Roads

Taxis in Aqaba

Aqaba is connected by an 8,000 kilometres (5,000 mi) modern highway system to surrounding countries. The city is connected to the rest of Jordan by the

Wadi Araba crossing. And to Haql in Saudi Arabia by the Durra Border Crossing. There are many bus services between Aqaba and Amman and the other major cities in Jordan, JETT and Trust International are the most common lines. These tourist buses are spacious and installed with air conditioning and bathrooms.[69]

Port

The Port of Aqaba is the only port in Jordan.

The Port of Aqaba is the only port in Jordan. Regular ferry routes to Taba are available on a daily basis and are operated by several companies such as Sindbad for Marine Transportation and Arab Bridge Maritime. The routes serve mainly the Egyptian coastal cities on the gulf like Taba and Sharm Al Sheikh.[65] In 2006, the port was ranked as being the "Best Container Terminal" in the Middle East by Lloyd's List. The port was chosen for its recent improvements and its ability to handle local traffic as well as international traffic to four neighboring countries.[70]

Wildlife

The

Whale sharks, locally known as Battan, are the most commonly sighted. Conservationists are working hard to protect Aqaba's shark population.[71][72]

Divers commonly stumble upon yellow-mouthed moray eels, blue spotted stingrays, eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse, frogfish, groupers, barracuda, clownfish and many other colourful and exotic species.

The gulf of Aqaba hosts more than 390 bird species including migratory birds such as the greater flamingo, great white pelican and the pink-backed pelican.[73]

Education

The universities and institutes in Aqaba:

See also: List of universities in Jordan
  • University of Jordan Aqaba Branch
  • Aqaba University of Technology
  • Aqaba University College (AUC) – Al-Balqa Applied University

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Jordan

Aqaba is twinned with:

Gallery

  • View of Aqaba
    View of Aqaba
  • The Eastern Gate of the ruins of Ayla
    The Eastern Gate of the ruins of Ayla
  • Sunset
    Sunset
  • View of the city
    View of the city

See also

References

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Bibliography

External links

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