Aqaba
Aqaba is the only coastal city in Jordan, an otherwise landlocked country. But not every country can boast a city with such a beautiful setting as Aqaba, with the red mountains of Wadi Rum in the background and the Red Sea in the foreground. Aqaba is a resort city and a port city, with tourism a major industry and undergoing a major expansion with new luxury neighborhoods, attractions, and hotels opening. The main attraction of Aqaba is, of course, its Red Sea coastline, and the beaches, diving, watersports, and coastal resorts, that come with that. But the city’s center and markets are becoming increasingly attractive. Aqaba’s location, close to Wadi Rum and Petra, and the border with Israel and Egypt make it a popular base for touring the region, with trips available to a host of destinations. Year-round sunshine and warm weather just add to the attractiveness of Aqaba as an ultimate resort city.
By the time of the Crusades Aila was less prosperous, due to an earthquake and tribal raids. In 1116 it became part of the Latin kingdom of Jerusalem until the Crusaders were ousted at the end of the century. The remains of the Crusader castle here probably lie hidden beneath the 15th-century Mamluk fort near the eastern end of the gulf. Under the Ottomans decline accelerated in 1869, for the new Suez Canal diverted many pilgrims away from the land route via Aqaba. In 1910, when Alois Musil visited, only about 19 families remained. Seven years later Aqaba was taken by an Arab and British force and the fort became a temporary base in the Arab Revolt. It was only in 1925, four years after Transjordan was founded, that Aqaba was detached from the Hijaz and became part of the new domain of Amir ‘Abdullah.