Aqaba

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.{{cite journal|author=Grinzweig, Michael|editor1-last=Cohen|editor1-first=Meir|editor2-last=Schiller|editor2-first=Eli|year=1993|title=From the Items of the Name Eilat|issue= 93–94: Eialat – Human, Sea and Desert|journal=Ariel|publisher=Ariel Publishing|page=110|language=he}} 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,{{cite journal|author=TSAFRIR, YORAM|title=The Transfer of the Negev, Sinai and Southern Transjordan from 'Arabia' to 'Palaestina.'|journal=Israel Exploration Journal|year=1986|volume=36|number=1/2|page=78|url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/27926015|access-date=18 May 2021|publisher=Israel Exploration Society|jstor=27926015|language=en|quote=Aila is described as a city of Arabia|archive-date=18 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518020133/https://www.jstor.org/stable/27926015|url-status=live}} Aela or Haila, adopted in Byzantine Greek as Άιλα Aila and in Arabic as Ayla (آيلا).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zaEHRF7ZS7IC&pg=PA183|title=The Umayyads: The Rise of Islamic Art|page=183|publisher=AIRP|year=2000|isbn=978-1-874044-35-2|access-date=19 September 2017|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726073732/https://books.google.com/books?id=zaEHRF7ZS7IC&pg=PA183|url-status=live}} The crusaders called the city Elyn.{{cite book | author = Steven Runciman | title = A History of the Crusades: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East 1100-1187| volume = 2 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | page = 79| year = 1952}}

The present name al-ʿAqaba ({{lang|ar|العقبة}}) is a shortened from ʿaqabat Aylah ({{lang|ar|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 ({{coord|29.559|N|35.095|E}}, now traversed by Aqaba Highway).{{cite book | author = Moshe Sharon | title = Corpus Inscriptionum Arabicarum Palaestinae | volume = 3 | page = 89 | year = 1997}}{{cite book | author = Yoel Elitsur | title = Ancient place names in the Holy Land | page = 35 | publisher = Magnes Press | year = 2004}}

File:AqabaComposite.png]]

File:Tall Hujayrat al-Ghuzlan 01.jpg

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.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R44VRnNCzAYC&pg=PA72|title=International Dictionary of Historic Places: Middle East and Africa, المجلد 4|author1=Trudy Ring|author2=Robert M. Salkin|author3=Sharon La Boda|year=1994|isbn=978-1-884964-03-9|publisher=Taylor & Francis|page=72|access-date=19 September 2017|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726074437/https://books.google.com/books?id=R44VRnNCzAYC&pg=PA72|url-status=live}} This period is largely unknown due to the absence of written historical sources. University of Jordan

archaeologists have discovered the sites, where they found{{where|date=January 2021}} 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.{{cite news|url=http://www.alghad.com/articles/722736-%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D8%AB%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%AD%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%A9|access-date=22 April 2016|date=18 February 2008|title=اكتشافات أثرية في موقع حجيرة الغزلان بوادي اليتيم في جنوب الأردن|work=Alghad|language=ar|archive-date=5 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305002959/http://www.alghad.com/articles/722736-%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D8%AB%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AA%D9%84%D8%A9-%D8%AD%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%BA%D8%B2%D9%84%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%A9|url-status=live}}

{{further|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|date=May 2018}} 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|date=May 2018}}

Archaeologists have investigated an Iron Age settlement at Tell el-Kheleifeh, immediately west of Aqaba, inhabited between the 8th and 4th centuries BCE.{{Cite web|title=Aqaba|url=https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a4add4d1482149d787fa5b7c8d9b2de2|access-date=2020-11-24|website=ArcGIS StoryMaps|language=en|archive-date=15 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210315231533/https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a4add4d1482149d787fa5b7c8d9b2de2|url-status=live}}

Around 735 BC, the city{{dubious|Which? Kheleifeh? Goes for the entire paragraph. Was there one city north of the golf? Two? Which archaeological sites have remains from the time?|date=January 2021}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.aqaba.jo/en/aqaba/beach-of-history#page|title=The Beach of History (3700 BC to date)|work=aqaba.jo|publisher=AQABA|access-date=27 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928032739/http://www.aqaba.jo/en/aqaba/beach-of-history#page|archive-date=28 September 2015|url-status=dead}}{{unreliable source?|date=May 2018}}{{dubious|Unaccebtably poor source, useless, faulty and against Wikipedia standards.|date=January 2021}}

{{further|History of the Romans in Arabia|Arabia Petraea|Via Traiana Nova}}The city continued to grow and prosper which made it a major trading hub by the time of the Greek rule by 300 BC, after the Wars of Alexander the Great, it was described by a Greek historian to be "one of the most important trading cities in the Arab World". The Ptolemaic Greeks called it Berenice.{{harvnb|Mayhew|2006}}

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

File:Aqaba Archeological Museum04.jpg milestone that marked the starting point of the Via Nova Traiana]]

In 64 BC, following the Roman conquest, they{{who|date=January 2021}} annexed the city and called it Aela (also Haila, Aelana, in Greek rendered Αἴλα Aila).In classical texts the Roman city is known as Aela, occasionally Haila or Aelana. Aela is the standard form of the name in Roman-era classical studies.

See:

{{cite book|author=Glen Warren Bowersock|title=Roman Arabia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L4NBigJ3NF4C&pg=PA172|year=1994|publisher=Harvard University Press|isbn=978-0-674-77756-9|page=172|access-date=20 February 2016|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726074807/https://books.google.com/books?id=L4NBigJ3NF4C&pg=PA172|url-status=live}}

{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xeJMAgAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PA56|page=56|title=The Oxford Companion to Archaeology|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2012|author=Neil Asher Silberman|isbn=978-0-19-973578-5|access-date=20 February 2016|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726075322/https://books.google.com/books?id=xeJMAgAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PA56|url-status=live}}

{{cite book|editor1=Averil Cameron|editor2=Peter Garnsey|title=The Cambridge Ancient History|year=1928|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zdoUNivK_hsC&pg=PA846|volume=13|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-30200-5|page=846|access-date=20 February 2016|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726075158/https://books.google.com/books?id=zdoUNivK_hsC&pg=PA846|url-status=live}}

[Stéphanie Benoist (editor), Rome, A City and Its Empire in Perspective (BRILL 2012 {{ISBN|978-9-00423123-8}}), p. 128]

[https://books.google.com/books?id=khR0apPid8gC&pg=PA436 Suzanne Richard, Near Eastern Archaeology: A Reader] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726074924/https://books.google.com/books?id=khR0apPid8gC&pg=PA436 |date=26 July 2020 }} (Eisenbrauns 2003 {{ISBN|978-1-57506083-5}}), p. 436

Both Petra and Aela were under strong Nabatean influence despite the Roman rule.{{dubious|When? After 106 Nabataea itself became a Roman province. Before? But before 106 Petra WAS Nabataean, so this looks like total nonsense. Utterly misunderstood sense of "patriotism".|date=January 2021}} Aela reached its peak during Roman times, the great long-distance road the Via Traiana Nova led south from 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{{clarify|reason=Do we mean, "main ports to the Red Sea"?|date=May 2018}} for the Romans.{{dubious|Could we cite something better than a tourism website?|date=May 2018}}

{{Further|Aqaba Church|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.{{cite web|url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-purpose-built-church|title=First purpose-built church|access-date=27 September 2015|work=Guinness World Records|archive-date=17 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180617193456/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/first-purpose-built-church|url-status=live}} By the time of Eusebius, Aela became the garrison of the Legio X Fretensis, which was moved to Aela from Jerusalem.[https://books.google.com/books?id=s4NMuZf3o4QC&pg=PA26 Hannah Cotton (editor), Corpus Inscriptionum Iudaeae/Palaestinae] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726074738/https://books.google.com/books?id=s4NMuZf3o4QC&pg=PA26 |date=26 July 2020 }} (Walter de Gruyter 2010 {{ISBN|978-31-1022219-7}}), pp. 25–26

[Brian M. Fagan, Charlotte Beck (editors), The Oxford Companion to Archaeology] (Oxford University Press 1996 {{ISBN|978-0-19507618-9}}), p. 617.

[https://books.google.com/books?id=jjcPG5UInzgC&pg=PA336 Benjamin H. Isaac, The Near East Under Roman Rule: Selected Papers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180830064815/https://books.google.com/books?id=jjcPG5UInzgC&pg=PA336 |date=30 August 2018 }} (BRILL 1998 {{ISBN|978-9-00410736-6}}), p. 336

File:Early church of Aqaba04.jpg

One of the oldest known texts written in the Arabic alphabet is a late 4th-century inscription found in Jabal Ram {{convert|50|km|0|abbr=off}} east of Aqaba.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fweY0lTEJogC&pg=PA33|page=33|title=Treks and Climbs in Wadi Rum, Jordan|isbn=978-1-85284-254-3|author1=Di Taylor|author2=Tony Howard|publisher=Cicerone Press Limited|year=1997|access-date=19 September 2017|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726073421/https://books.google.com/books?id=fweY0lTEJogC&pg=PA33|url-status=live}}

The city became a Christian bishopric at an early stage. Its bishop Peter was present at the First Council of Nicaea,Irfan Shahid, Byzantium and the Arabs in the Fourth Century (Dumbarton Oaks, 1984) page 345. 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.Siméon Vailhé, v. Aela, in [http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6562709t/f344.image Dictionnaire d'Histoire et de Géographie ecclésiastiques] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503062452/http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6562709t/f344.image |date=3 May 2015 }}, vol. I, Paris 1909, coll. 647–648Siméon Vailhé, [http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/rebyz_1146-9447_1900_num_3_6_3298 Notes de géographie ecclésiastique] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006160652/http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/rebyz_1146-9447_1900_num_3_6_3298 |date=6 October 2014 }}, in Échos d'Orient, tome 3, nº 6 (1900), pp. 337–338

A citadel was also built in the area{{where|date=January 2021}}{{when|date=January 2021}} that became the focal point of the Roman southern defense system.{{clarify|date=May 2018}}

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 ({{Reign|527|565}}).{{clarify|date=May 2018}}

According to Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad himself reached Aila during the expedition of Tabuk of 630, and extracted tribute from the city.Francis E. Peters, Muhammad and the Origins of Islam, [https://books.google.com/books?id=FS8W4fEXJpsC&pg=PA241 p. 241] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726084316/https://books.google.ch/books?id=FS8W4fEXJpsC&pg=PA241 |date=26 July 2020 }}.

During the Late Byzantine or even Early Muslim period, Aila was the origin of what came to be known as the Ayla-Axum amphoras.M. Raith – R. Hoffbauer – H. Euler – P. Yule – K. Damgaard, The view from Ẓafār – an archaeometric study of the ʿAqaba late Roman period pottery complex and distribution in the 1st millennium CE, Zeitschrift für Orient-Archäologie 6, 2013f, 320–50

Aila fell to the Islamic armies by 629, and the ancient settlement was left to decay, while a new Arab city was established outside its walls under Uthman ibn Affan,{{cite web|title=The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago – Aqaba Project|url=http://oi.uchicago.edu/research/projects/aqa/|work=Aqaba project|publisher=The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago|access-date=7 May 2018|archive-date=4 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140104204035/http://oi.uchicago.edu/research/projects/aqa/|url-status=live}} known as Ayla ({{langx|ar|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|date=May 2018}} 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|It makes no sense. What were the dimensions of the fortified area, 170x145 or 35x35 m? Certainly the former. I guess it's a confusion with the Late Muslim fort. Or did Ayla also have a citadel inside the fortified city? Very unlikely.|date=January 2021}}{{citation needed|date=May 2018}} 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|date=May 2018}} This type of urban structure, called MSIR,{{clarify|date=May 2018}} is typical of early Islamic fortified settlements.

File:Ayla02.jpg|Early Muslim Ayla

File:Ayla01.jpg|Early Muslim Ayla

The city prospered from 661 to 750 under the Umayyads 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.{{citation needed|date=May 2018}}

The geographer Shams Eddin Muqaddasi describes Ayla as nearby the ruined ancient city.{{cite web|url=http://www.alrai.com/article/357602.html|title=حفريات أثرية.. العقبة منطقة اقتصادية منذ 6 آلاف سنة|access-date=28 September 2015|date=10 July 2009|work=Al-Rai Newspaper|archive-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018082807/http://www.alrai.com/article/357602.html|url-status=live}}

The city was mentioned in Medieval{{when|date=January 2021}} 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.{{clarify|reason=When? From-till, historical periods. Since it did continue to play this part during later periods, this must be mentioned there too. Also here, maybe it belongs higher up in the paragraph.|date=January 2021}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M0wUKoMJeccC&q=Moshe+Gil+history+of+palestine|title = A History of Palestine, 634-1099|isbn = 9780521599849|last1 = Gil|first1 = Moshe|date = 27 February 1997| publisher=Cambridge University Press |access-date = 17 June 2021|archive-date = 31 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831144006/https://books.google.com/books?id=M0wUKoMJeccC&q=Moshe+Gil+history+of+palestine|url-status = live}}

The city was "completely destroyed" by the 1068 Near East earthquake.{{cite journal|url=https://academic.oup.com/gji/article/142/3/769/611025?login=false|first1=Y. |last1=Klinger |first2=J. P. |last2=Avoua |first3=L. |last3=Dorbath |first4=N. |last4=Abou Karaki |first5=N. |last5=Tisnerat |title=Seismic behaviour of the Dead Sea fault along the Araba valley, Jordan |journal=Geophysical Journal International |publisher=Wiley-Blackwell |volume=142 |issue=3 |year=2000 |page=772 |doi=10.1046/j.1365-246x.2000.00166.x |bibcode=2000GeoJI.142..769K |doi-access=free|quote=The AD 1068 event caused major damage from the Banyas area in northern Israel to Hejaz, and the ancient city of Aila (at the present location of Aqaba and Eilat) was completely destroyed.|access-date=March 18, 2025 }}

File:Aqaba Fort.jpg]]

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 {{convert|7|km|0|abbr=off}} west of Aqaba.

The garrison of Elyn (now serving primarily as a military outpost) was further strengthened in 1142 by Pagan the Butler, 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.{{cite book | author = Steven Runciman | title = A History of the Crusades: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East 1100-1187| volume = 2 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | page = 186| year = 1952}} 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,{{cite book | author = Steven Runciman | title = A History of the Crusades: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East 1100-1187| volume = 2 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | page = 318| year = 1952}} it was never retaken by the Crusaders.{{cite book | author = Steven Runciman | title = A History of the Crusades: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East 1100-1187| volume = 2 | publisher = Cambridge University Press | pages = 356–357| year = 1952}}

The old fort was rebuilt, as Aqaba Fortress, by Mamluk 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.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

During World War I, the Ottoman forces were forced to withdraw from Aqaba in 1917 after the Battle of Aqaba, led by T. E. Lawrence and the Arab forces of Auda Abu Tayi and Sherif Nasir. The capture of Aqaba allowed the British to supply the Arab forces. In 1918, the regions of Aqaba and Ma'an were officially incorporated into the Kingdom of the Hejaz. In 1925, Ibn Saud the ruler of 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_transjordan.html|title=Jordan - History - the Making of Transjordan|access-date=25 February 2019|archive-date=21 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921111449/http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_transjordan.html|url-status=live}}

File:Lcamel.jpg|Lawrence of Arabia on a camel in Aqaba in 1917

File:Air films (1937). Akkaba. Closer view LOC matpc.17054.jpg|Aqaba in 1937

File:1822 Rüppell map of the Gulf of Aqaba with modern borders.jpg|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.Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics, 1964, pp. [http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensusPages/JordanCensus1961-p06.pdf 6][http://users.cecs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensusPages/JordanCensus1961-p13.pdf 13]

In 1965, King Hussein, through an exchange deal with Saudi Arabia, gave {{convert|6000|km2|0|abbr=off}} of desert land in Jordanian territories in exchange for other territories, including {{convert|12|km|0|abbr=off}} of an extension of prime coastline south of Aqaba, which included the magnificent Yamanieh coral reef.{{cite web|url=http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/tourism6e.html|title=Aqaba|work=kinghussein.gov.jo|access-date=28 September 2015|archive-date=16 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116050332/http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/tourism6e.html|url-status=live}} Aqaba was a major site for imports of Iraqi goods in the 1980s until the Persian Gulf War.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k5xIAAAAYAAJ|title=The Economic Consequences of the Persian Gulf War: Accelerating Opec's Demise|isbn=978-0-944029-18-3|year=1992|author=Eliyahu Kanovsky|publisher=Washington Institute for Near East Policy|access-date=19 September 2017|archive-date=26 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726074835/https://books.google.com/books?id=k5xIAAAAYAAJ|url-status=live}}

In 1997, the Aqaba Marine Reserve was established within the southern boundaries of the Gulf of Aqaba.

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.{{cite web|url=http://www.aqaba.jo/en/node/1410|title=Location|work=aqaba.jo|access-date=1 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929215928/http://www.aqaba.jo/en/node/1410|archive-date=29 September 2015|url-status=dead}}

Aqaba has a hot desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWh) with mild, sometimes warm winters and very hot dry summers. Subzero temperatures can be observed every few years. The record low temperature of {{convert|-3.9|C}} was on January 16, 2008, as in Eilat.

{{Weather box

|width = auto

|location = Aqaba (King Hussein International Airport) (1989–2018 normals)

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan high C = 20.4

|Feb high C = 22.5

|Mar high C = 26.4

|Apr high C = 31.3

|May high C = 35.5

|Jun high C = 38.7

|Jul high C = 40.1

|Aug high C = 39.7

|Sep high C = 36.9

|Oct high C = 32.9

|Nov high C = 27.2

|Dec high C = 22.1

|year high C = 31.1

|Jan mean C = 14.9

|Feb mean C = 16.6

|Mar mean C = 20.1

|Apr mean C = 24.6

|May mean C = 28.6

|Jun mean C = 31.5

|Jul mean C = 33.3

|Aug mean C = 33.2

|Sep mean C = 30.7

|Oct mean C = 26.9

|Nov mean C = 21.4

|Dec mean C = 16.5

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = 9.3

|Feb low C = 10.6

|Mar low C = 13.8

|Apr low C = 17.8

|May low C = 21.6

|Jun low C = 24.3

|Jul low C = 26.4

|Aug low C = 26.6

|Sep low C = 24.4

|Oct low C = 20.9

|Nov low C = 15.6

|Dec low C = 10.9

|year low C = 18.3

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 4.2

|Feb precipitation mm = 4.0

|Mar precipitation mm = 2.7

|Apr precipitation mm = 1.5

|May precipitation mm = 0.5

|Jun precipitation mm = 0.0

|Jul precipitation mm = 0.0

|Aug precipitation mm = 0.0

|Sep precipitation mm = 0.0

|Oct precipitation mm = 4.6

|Nov precipitation mm = 2.3

|Dec precipitation mm = 3.5

|year precipitation mm = 23.4

| Jan humidity = 58.5

| Feb humidity = 53.3

| Mar humidity = 49.6

| Apr humidity = 41.7

| May humidity = 38.8

| Jun humidity = 38.4

| Jul humidity = 39.7

| Aug humidity = 43.3

| Sep humidity = 48.5

| Oct humidity = 51.6

| Nov humidity = 53.0

| Dec humidity = 57.0

| year humidity = 47.8

|source 1 = Jordan Meteorological Department{{Cite web

|title=دائرة الأرصاد الجوية > معلومات مناخية وزراعية > المعدلات العامة

|publisher=Jordan Meteorological Department

|access-date=21 December 2024

|url= http://jometeo.gov.jo/%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%88%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%88%D8%B2%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B9%D9%8A%D8%A9/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%AF%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9

|language=Arabic

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240221154009/http://jometeo.gov.jo/معلومات-مناخية-وزراعية/المعدلات-العامة

|archive-date=21 February 2024

|url-status=live}}

}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.aqabazone.com |title=Aseza |publisher=Aqabazone.com |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=5 July 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705121454/http://www.aqabazone.com/ |url-status=live }}

Jordan is divided into 12 administrative divisions, each called a Governorate. Aqaba Governorate divides into 3 Districts, some of which are divided into Subdistricts and further divided into villages.

With status as Jordan's special economic zone, Aqaba's economy is based on the tourism and port industry sectors.

Aqaba's location next to Wadi Rum and Petra has 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. Industrial and commercial activities remain important, due to the strategic location of the city as the country's only seaport.

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.[http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/publication.asp?country=19] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829151238/http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/publication.asp?country=19|date=29 August 2009}} 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.{{update inline|date=April 2021}}
• 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 {{convert|20|km|0|abbr=off}} 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.

{{wide image|2005-08-17 Marina City, Aqaba, Jordanien 02.jpg|align-cap=center|950px|View of Tala Bay resort south of Aqaba}}

File:Diving in Aqaba.jpg

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 mansaf and knafeh, and baqlawa desserts. Another very popular venue is the Turkish Bath (Hamam) built in 306 AD, in which locals and visitors alike come to relax after a hot day.

File:Aqababeach.jpg

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.aqabazone.com/files/ANN%20REP%20ENG.pdf |title=Final Ann Rep Eng |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=5 March 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305234102/http://www.aqabazone.com/files/ANN%20REP%20ENG.pdf |url-status=live }}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.aqabazone.com/index.php?q=node/529 |title=King visits Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority | ASEZA |publisher=Aqabazone.com |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305180758/http://aqabazone.com/index.php?q=node%2F529 |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3872851,00.html |title=Arkia to operate flights to Aqaba – Israel Travel, Ynetnews |newspaper=Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=20 June 1995 |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-date=1 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181001103353/https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3872851,00.html |url-status=live |last1=Sadeh |first1=Danny }}{{cite web |url=http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20100211041816/ATO:%20Jordan%20turned%20Aqaba%20into%20a%20distinguished%20city |title=ATO: Jordan turned Aqaba into a distinguished city |publisher=Zawya |date=10 February 2010 |access-date=17 October 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110617063235/http://www.zawya.com/story.cfm/sidZAWYA20100211041816/ATO:%20Jordan%20turned%20Aqaba%20into%20a%20distinguished%20city |archive-date=17 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}

During the 5-day holiday at both the end of Ramadan and 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/over-50000-vacationers-visited-aqaba-during-eid-al-adha|title=Over 50,000 vacationers visited Aqaba during Eid Al Adha|date=29 September 2015|website=jordantimes.com|access-date=29 September 2015|archive-date=1 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001043322/http://www.jordantimes.com/news/local/over-50000-vacationers-visited-aqaba-during-eid-al-adha|url-status=live}}

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.{{Cite web|last=Cavanagh|first=Kimberly|date=2020-05-15|title=Exploring the tourism development landscape in Aqaba|url=https://publications.acorjordan.org/2020/05/15/exploring-the-tourism-development-landscape-in-aqaba/|access-date=2020-06-29|website=ACOR Jordan|language=en-US|archive-date=22 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122174058/https://publications.acorjordan.org/2020/05/15/exploring-the-tourism-development-landscape-in-aqaba/|url-status=live}}

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.{{cite web |url=http://www.dos.gov.jo/dos_home/cens_aqaba/aqabacity8.4.pdf |title=DoS Jordan Aqaba Census |access-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929005232/http://www.dos.gov.jo/dos_home/cens_aqaba/aqabacity8.4.pdf |archive-date=29 September 2011 }} 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:

File:Aqaba Mosque.jpg]]

ِIslam represents the majority of the population of Aqaba, but Christianity still exists today. Approximately 5,000 Christian families live in the city.{{cite news|url=http://www.alghad.com/articles/610940-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%82%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A?desktop=1|language=ar|title=أبناء الطائفة المسيحية في العقبة يطالبون بمقعد نيابي|date=19 April 2012|access-date=28 September 2015|work=Al-Ghad Newspaper|archive-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604122254/https://www.alghad.com/articles/610940-%D8%A3%D8%A8%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%81%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%85%D9%82%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%8A?desktop=1|url-status=live}} There are several churches in the city and multiple Christian schools including Rosary Sisters School Aqaba.{{cite web|url=http://ar.lpj.org/2010/08/20/construction-of-a-church-and-multi-purpose-hall-in-aqaba-jordan/|title=Construction of a Church and Multi-Purpose Hall in Aqaba|access-date=1 October 2015|date=20 August 2010|work=lpj.org|archive-date=18 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018082807/http://ar.lpj.org/2010/08/20/construction-of-a-church-and-multi-purpose-hall-in-aqaba-jordan/|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=http://www.nerc.gov.jo/FOSTEr/El%20Aqaba%20governorate.html|title=Raising awareness on solar energy among school students in El Aqaba governorate|access-date=1 October 2015|work=NATIONAL ENERGY RESEARCH CENTER|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151002113553/http://www.nerc.gov.jo/FOSTEr/El%20Aqaba%20governorate.html|archive-date=2 October 2015}}

File:View of Aqaba 1.jpg

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.

The largest museum in Aqaba is the Aqaba Archaeological Museum.

Aqaba has recently experienced a great growth in its nightlife, especially during the dramatic increase of tourist number in the 2000s.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

The Aqaba railway system ceased operations in 2018. If and when an Israeli railway to Eilat is built, it might either be extended across the border to Jordan{{Cite web|url=https://besacenter.org/385-chaziza-the-red-med-railway-new-opportunities-for-china-israel-and-the-middle-east/|title=The Red-Med Railway: New Opportunities for China, Israel, and the Middle East|website=Besacenter.org|date=11 December 2016|access-date=5 December 2021}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3926029,00.html|title=Netanyahu, Abdullah discuss rail cooperation|first=Ronen|last=Medzini|date=27 July 2010|access-date=5 December 2021|newspaper=Ynetnews}} or enable passengers traveling from Gush Dan to Aqaba to cross the border via road transport.

King Hussein International Airport is the only civilian airport outside of Amman in the country, located to the north of Aqaba. It is a 20-minutes drive away from the city center. Regular flights are scheduled from Amman to Aqaba with an average flying time of 45 minutes which is serviced by 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.aqaba.jo/en/node/1410|title=Getting to Aqaba|access-date=1 October 2015|work=aqaba.jo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929215928/http://www.aqaba.jo/en/node/1410|archive-date=29 September 2015|url-status=dead}} Since the 1994 Peace Treaty between Israel and Jordan, there were plans to jointly develop airport infrastructure in the region.{{Cite news|url=https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/israel-jordan-plan-joint-aqaba-airport|title=Israel, Jordan plan joint Aqaba airport|newspaper=The Jerusalem Post|access-date=5 December 2021}} 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-israel-flying-in-the-face-of-jordanians-1.5297285|title=Israel's New Airport Is Angering Jordan, a Rare Friend in the Region|access-date=5 December 2021|newspaper=Haaretz}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-jordan-airport-idUSKCN0Z81KD|title=Airport planned for Israel-Jordan border clouds neighborly ties|date=22 June 2016|access-date=5 December 2021|website=Reuters.com}}

File:20100927 aqaba023.JPG

Aqaba is connected by an {{convert|8000|km}} modern highway system to surrounding countries. The city is connected to the rest of Jordan by the Desert Highway and the King's Highway that provides access to the resorts and settlements on the Dead Sea. Aqaba is connected to Eilat in Israel by taxi and bus services passing through 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.{{harvnb|Mayhew|2006|p=226}}

File:CSCL Rotterdam in Aqaba, Jordan.jpg 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. 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/article-76-top-10-middle-east-ports/4/ |title=Top 10 Middle East Ports |publisher=ArabianSupplyChain.com |date=31 October 2006 |access-date=31 December 2012 |archive-date=17 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317105424/http://www.arabiansupplychain.com/article-76-top-10-middle-east-ports/4 |url-status=live }}

The Gulf of Aqaba is rich with marine life. The gulf is home to approximately 500 fish species, with many being permanent residents, like lion fish and octopus, while others are migratory, typically appearing during the summer, such as sailfish, considered the fastest fish in the ocean, as well as the world's largest fish, the whale shark. Marine mammals and reptiles also inhabit the gulf during summer, hawksbill sea turtles, and bottle nosed dolphins call Aqaba's gulf home as well. A large number of predatory shark species used to inhabit Aqaba's gulf but, due to overfishing and pollution, this population is in decline. While mostly deep water sharks such as the tiger sharks and thresher sharks are present, there are also a small number of reef sharks as well. The world's fastest shark, the short-fin mako shark is the most commonly caught species by fishermen in Aqaba. Whale sharks, locally known as Battan, are the most commonly sighted. Conservationists are working hard to protect Aqaba's shark population.{{Cite web |url=https://www.jreds.org/Portals/0/pdf/GIZ%20Booklet%206.10.2015.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=20 November 2020 |archive-date=28 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128104609/https://www.jreds.org/Portals/0/pdf/GIZ%20Booklet%206.10.2015.pdf |url-status=live }}{{Cite web|url=http://divemagazine.co.uk/destinations/aqaba/6918-marine-life-aqaba|title=Marine Life | Aqaba|access-date=20 November 2020|archive-date=31 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031045305/http://divemagazine.co.uk/destinations/aqaba/6918-marine-life-aqaba|url-status=live}}

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.{{Cite web |url=https://aqaba.jo/Pages/Details/Attraction/1/Aqaba_Bird_Observatory |title=Aqaba Bird Observatory - Aqaba |access-date=20 November 2020 |archive-date=24 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124172359/https://aqaba.jo/Pages/Details/Attraction/1/Aqaba_Bird_Observatory |url-status=live }}

There is a University of Jordan Aqaba Branch.

{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Jordan}}

Aqaba is twinned with:

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}

• {{flagicon|ITA}} Alcamo, Italy{{cite web|title=Siglato gemellaggio tra Alcamo e il Governatore di Aqaba nel Regno della Giordania|url=https://www.alqamah.it/2013/11/26/siglato-gemellaggio-tra-alcamo-e-il-governatore-di-aqaba-nel-regno-della-giordania/|website=alqamah.it|publisher=Alqama H|language=it|date=2013-11-26|access-date=2020-11-02|archive-date=7 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107032433/https://www.alqamah.it/2013/11/26/siglato-gemellaggio-tra-alcamo-e-il-governatore-di-aqaba-nel-regno-della-giordania/|url-status=live}}
• {{flagicon|IRQ}} Basra, Iraq{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}
• {{flagicon|TUN}} Hammamet, Tunisia{{cite web|title=Coopération Internationale|url=http://www.nabeul.gov.tn/fr/cooperation-internationale/#tab-1-2|website=nabeul.gov.tn|publisher=Gouvernorat de Nabeul|language=fr|access-date=2020-11-02|archive-date=27 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927011525/http://www.nabeul.gov.tn/fr/cooperation-internationale/#tab-1-2|url-status=live}}
• {{flagicon|RUS}} Saint Petersburg, Russia{{cite web|title=Международные и межрегиональные связи|url=https://www.gov.spb.ru/helper/new_stat/inter/|website=gov.spb.ru|publisher=Federal city of Saint Petersburg|language=ru|access-date=2020-06-30|archive-date=5 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105013852/http://gov.spb.ru/helper/new_stat/inter/|url-status=live}}
• {{flagicon|EGY}} Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt{{cite web|title=اتفاقية توأمة بين شرم الشيخ والعقبة|url=https://www.alghad.tv/%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%88%D8%A3%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%B4%D8%B1%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D9%82%D8%A8%D8%A9/|website=alghad.tv|publisher=Al Ghad|language=ar|date=2015-12-16|access-date=2020-10-21|archive-date=30 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030111505/https://www.alghad.tv/%d8%a7%d8%aa%d9%81%d8%a7%d9%82%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%aa%d9%88%d8%a3%d9%85%d8%a9-%d8%a8%d9%8a%d9%86-%d8%b4%d8%b1%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d9%8a%d8%ae-%d9%88%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d9%82%d8%a8%d8%a9/|url-status=live}}
• {{flagicon|CHN}} Ürümqi, China{{cite web|title=Aqaba's twin city Urumchi donates medical equipment for COVID-19 response|url=https://www.adc.jo/News.aspx?id=431|website=adc.jo|publisher=Aqaba Development Corporation|date=2020-04-15|access-date=2020-06-30|archive-date=31 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831144015/https://www.adc.jo/News.aspx?id=431|url-status=live}}

{{div col end}}

File:Aqaba3.jpg|View of Aqaba

File:Aqaba - 8357894053.jpg

File:Ayla02.JPG|The Eastern Gate of the ruins of Ayla

File:Sunset in Aqaba.jpg|Sunset

File:AqabaVueDeLaMer.JPG|View of the city

File:Aqaba_Fort_-_Facade.jpg

File:Z Aqaba Beatch JO.jpg

File:Movenpick Tala Bay - Aqaba.png

File:Aqaba Garden.jpg

File:Red Sea Summit in Aqaba.jpg

{{Portal|Jordan|History|Asia}}

• Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority
• Disi Water Conveyance Project
• Midian

{{Clear}}

{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{refbegin}}

• {{Cite book|title=Jordan|first=Bradley|last=Mayhew|publisher=Lonely Planet|date=April 2006|edition=6th|isbn=1-74059-789-3|orig-year=1987|location=Footscray}}
• {{cite book | title = First Census of Population and Housing. Volume I: Final Tables; General Characteristics of the Population | author = Government of Jordan, Department of Statistics | year = 1964|url=http://cs.anu.edu.au/~bdm/yabber/census/JordanCensus1961bits.pdf}}

{{refend}}

{{commons category}}

{{wikivoyage|Aqaba}}

• [http://www.aqaba.jo Aqaba Marketing and Tourism Directorate]
• [https://acor.digitalrelab.com/index.php?s=filter=place_name:Aqaba%20(Jordan),%20Ayla%20(Jordan) Photos of Aqaba] at the American Center of Research
• [https://acor.digitalrelab.com/index.php?s=filter=place_name:Aqaba%20/%20Ayla%20(Jordan) Photos of Aqaba / Ayla] at the American Center of Research
• [https://jordan-travel.com/aqaba-the-jewel-of-the-red-sea/ Aqaba - the Jewel of the Red Sea]

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Category:Populated places in Aqaba Governorate

Category:Cities in the Great Rift Valley

Category:Port cities in the Arabian Peninsula

Category:Port cities and towns of the Red Sea

Category:Tourism in Jordan

Category:Battlefields