Aqaba
Aqaba (English: /ˈækəbə/ AK-ə-bə,[2] US also /ˈɑːk-/ AHK-;[3] 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
الْعَقَبَة
Aqaba's strategic location at the northeastern tip of the Red Sea between the continents of Asia and Africa has made its port important throughout thousands of years.[7] The ancient city was called Elath, adopted in Latin as Aela and in Arabic as Ayla. Its strategic location and proximity to copper mines made it a regional hub for copper production and trade in the Chalcolithic period.[8] Aela became a bishopric under Byzantine rule and later became a Latin Catholic titular see after Islamic conquest around AD 650, when it became known as Ayla; the name Aqaba is late medieval.[9] The Great Arab Revolt's Battle of Aqaba resulted in victory for Arab forces over the Ottoman defenders.[10]
Aqaba's location next to Wadi Rum and Petra has placed it in Jordan's golden triangle of tourism, which strengthened the city's location on the world map and made it one of the major tourist attractions in Jordan.[11] 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.[12] They are expected to turn the city into a major tourism hub in the region.[13] However, industrial and commercial activities remain important, due to the strategic location of the city as the country's only seaport.[14] The city sits right across the border from Eilat, likewise Israel's only port on the Red Sea. After the 1994 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]
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For other uses, see Al Aqabah (disambiguation).Name[edit]
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, now traversed by Aqaba Highway).[22][23]
Wildlife[edit]
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.[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]
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Transport[edit]
Rail[edit]
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[63][64] or enable passengers traveling from Gush Dan to Aqaba to cross the border via road transport.
Airports[edit]
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.[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]
Early Muslim Ayla
Early Muslim Ayla
Culture[edit]
Museums[edit]
The largest museum in Aqaba is the Aqaba Archaeological Museum.
Lifestyle[edit]
Aqaba has recently experienced a great growth in its nightlife, especially during the dramatic increase of tourist number in the 2000s.
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View of Aqaba
The Eastern Gate of the ruins of Ayla
Sunset
View of the city
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Aqabawi
+3 Arabia Standard Time
+(962)3