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Although Aqaba is an important commercial centre in Jordan, both because of its port and because of the duty free shops, for the tourist the most important attraction is undoubtedly the sea. The beaches are small and are rather close to the port, the public beaches do tend to be rather dirty, but the temperature of the water is wonderful, and at least there is sand to lie on, unlike most of the resorts in Sinai. The hotel beaches are kept clean and free of underwater growth, it is well worth paying a small sum for non residents to relax and swim there.
This photo shows one of the public beaches, with glass bottomed boats waiting for custom. This is one of the not to be missed excursions in Aqaba : a trip out towards the reefs and a look at some of the colourful fish to be found in the waters of the Marine Peace Park. If you can't afford a trip as far as the reefs, a ride on the water is still welcome, allowing you to escape from the heat of the town, which can sometimes be intense.
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Otherwise, Aqaba is a pleasant town, with plenty of shade in the non-commercial areas. The mountains are arid and high - Wadi Rum is some 50 kilometers to the north. The private beaches as I have said, are very different from the public ones; the photo on the right shows one of the hotel beaches.
Until the construction of the Suez canal and later the Hejaz Railway, Aqaba was the assembly point for pilgrims heading for Mecca. Coming from the west, from Africa and Egypt, or from the north (Syria, Turkey and points north) they met up here and camped under the palm trees along the edge of the sea. The palm groves of Aqaba were famous and were the sight that travellers from Egypt in particular looked for as they arrived at the Red Sea. When enough people were gathered, the governor of Aqaba organised a caravan to take them south to the Moslem Holy City.
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One of the few "tourist sites" in Aqaba is the Mameluke fort, sometimes called "the Castle". This was the fort captured so romantically by the Arab force led by Prince Faisal and T.E. Lawrence during the Arab revolt, and the ruined part was in fact destroyed by gunfire from British ships at the time. The fort was built in 1320, but excavations are showing that there were earlier buildings on the site. For a long time it was used as a caravanserai, until refortification by the Turks.
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The main mosque in Aqaba. The second photo shows the call to prayer at sunset. You can just make out the reflection of the sea.
(photos by Christine Preis)
In the evening, it is very pleasant to stroll around and perhaps eat out of doors, whether in the "souk" of the downtown or along the beach where the many restaurants are ready to welcome both tourists and locals.
As you can see from all these photos, the primary attraction at Aqaba is always the sea and everything that can be done on, in or under it!
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| A view of the Gulf of Aqaba | The royal palace on the sea front |
The Jordanian Royal Family have a palace on the sea front there (you can pick it out very easily from a boat from the trees that surround it) which they use extensively in the winter. It used to be a tradition for the whole family to gather there for King Hussein's birthday at the beginning of November, I don't know if this tradition continues.
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| Here is some of the marine life which is so fascinating, whether seen when diving, snorkelling or from a glass bottomed boat | ||
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Sites pages 5 Aqaba - Diving in Aqaba - Dive sites of Aqaba
Other pages in the Photo Gallery
