Gulf of Aqaba – History and more

Excavations at Tall Hujayrat Al-Ghuzlan and Tall Al-Magass in Aqaba revealed that the city has been an inhabited settlement since 4000 BC, with a thriving copper production on a large scale.

This period is largely unknown due to the absence of written historical sources. Archaeologists from University of Jordan have discovered the sites, where they found 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 was mostly grapes and wheat. Several different-sized clay pots were also found suggesting that copper production was a major industry in the region, the pots were 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.

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, 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.

Aela came under Byzantine Empire rule in AD 300, where the Aqaba Church was constructed, considered to be the world’s very first purpose-built church. The city became a Christian bishopric at an early stage. Its bishop Peter was present at the First Council of Nicaea, the first ecumenical council, in 325.

Beryllus was at the Council of Chalcedon in 451, and Paul at the synod called by Patriarch Peter of Jerusalem in 536 against Patriarch Anthimus I of Alexandria, a council attended by bishops of the Late Roman provinces of Palaestina Prima, Palaestina Secunda and Palaestina Tertia, to the last-named of which Aela belonged.

According to Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad himself in the Expedition to Tabouk of 630 reached, and extracted tribute from, Aila. Aila fell to the Islamic conquest by 650, and the ancient settlement was left to decay, while a new Arab city was established outside its walls under Uthman ibn Affan., also known as Ayla (Arabic: آيلة‎). The geographer Shams Eddin Muqaddasi describes Ayla as nearby the ruined ancient city.

Despite its economic importance, Aqaba faced numerous challenges during the Medieval period, including invasions, conflicts, and changes in trade patterns. The Crusades, for instance, brought periods of instability and warfare to the region as European powers vied for control over the Holy Land. Nevertheless, Aqaba managed to retain its significance as a vital nexus of trade throughout these tumultuous times.

By the late Medieval period, shifts in global trade routes and the decline of centralized empires led to a gradual decline in Aqaba’s prominence. The rise of maritime powers such as Venice and Genoa, coupled with the opening of new trade routes, diverted commerce away from the Red Sea. Additionally, the discovery of alternative sea routes to the East diminished Aqaba’s role as a crucial waypoint for trade between Europe and Asia.

The city prospered from 661 to 750 under the Ummayads and beyond under the Abbasids (750-970) and the Fatimids (970-1116). Ayla took advantage of its key position as an important step on the road to India and Arab spices (frankincense, myrrh), between the Mediterranean Sea and the Arabian Peninsula. The city is also mentioned in several stories of the Arabian Nights.

The medieval city was excavated in 1986 by a team of the University of Chicago. Artefacts are now on exhibit at Aqaba Archaeological Museum and Jordan Archaeological Museum in Amman.

The city was inscribed in a rectangle 170 × 145 fortified meters, with walls 2.6 meters thick and 4.5 meters high, surrounding a fortified structure, occupying an area of 35 × 55 meters. 24 towers defended the city.

The city had four gates on all four sides, defining two main lines intersecting at the center. The intersection of these two channels was indicated by a tetra pylon (a four-way arch), which was transformed into a luxury residential building decorated with frescoes of the tenth century.

This type of urban structure, called MSIR, is typical of early Islamic fortified settlements.

Baldwin I of Jerusalem took over the city in 1116 without much resistance. The center of the city then moved to 500 meters along the coast to the south, and the crusader fortress of Helim was built, as well as Pharaoh’s Island (now in Egyptian territorial waters about 7 kilometres (4 miles) west of Aqaba). The city declined in the late 12th century due earthquakes and attacks by Bedouins and Mamluks forces.

Ayla remained under the control of the kingdom of Jerusalem from 1116 until 1187, when it was captured by Saladin. The settlement by this point had essentially disappeared, and the site became known after the nearby mountain-pass, as al-ʿAqaba. The old fort was rebuilt, as Aqaba Fortress, by sultan 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.

• It’s very easy to get there, especially with Turkish Airlines, Ryanair, EasyJet, Wizz Air and other flights routing from everywhere.
• Free visa, one of many benefits to this gulf provided and controlled by ASEZA (Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority).
• The variety of beaches including privates and public.
• Great in conditions reef with crystal clear water all around the year is a dream to divers.
• Jordan is perfectly safe, perhaps safer and more politically-stable than most European countries. In terms of hassle, Aqaba folk in particular are very courteous and friendly.