Although it has positioned itself as the star destination for sun and beach tourism in Jordan, the Aqaba Archaeological Museum and other sites located in the city will be able to satisfy the expectations of history lovers during their stay here. This city, which centuries ago was called Ayla, has its origin in a commercial port used by Romans and Byzantines, with great relevance also in the early days of Islam. In this post, we briefly review what the museum and the visitable excavations offer, which tell us about a surprising past on the shores of the Red Sea.
Aqaba Archaeological Museum
This is the best place to learn about the Islamic past of Aqaba, as it exhibits archaeological pieces datable in different periods, such as the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid or Fatimid. The rapid expansion of Islam towards the West, in this case from the Arabian Peninsula towards North Africa, turned Aqaba into a must-pass place. And the same happened in reverse, for those who made pilgrimages to Mecca from these territories.
Enameled ceramics or coins minted in other territories give a good account of this commercial and people exchange that took place here. A Koranic relief that was located above the eastern gate of the wall also has an important documentary value. And the tombstones that are preserved here are a sample of the funerary traditions of those early times of Islam. The period covered by the collections exhibited here ranges from the 7th to the 12th century.
In addition, the building in which the Archaeological Museum is located is also iconic: it is the former residence of Sherif Hussein Bin Ali, Sherif of Mecca and member of the Hashemite dynasty, who at the beginning of the century played a crucial role in the Arab Revolt for the secession of the Ottoman Empire. Admission is free.
Archaeological sites scattered throughout the city
Unfortunately, there are few vestiges left of the ancient Ayla, probably due to the damage caused by an earthquake in the 2nd century, but recent excavations have brought to light some structures and part of its urban framework.
The oldest vestige that is preserved are the remains of a Roman church from the 3rd and 4th centuries, when Christianity experienced a rapid diffusion after the legalization of this religion in the Roman Empire in the times of Constantine. And although what can be seen here are only the beginnings of its walls, its historical value is enormous, since it would be one of the oldest churches built in the world.
With regard to the Islamic Ayla that had so much dynamism in the early centuries of Islam, you can also see the beginning of some walls in a piece of urban fabric, in what is today an archaeological site near the marina. Logically, the ancient city was much larger, but this is practically the only thing that has been brought to light, since these remains are boxed between the buildings and streets of modern Aqaba.
More recognizable (and also more recent) is the Aqaba Fort, perhaps its most impressive and best preserved monument. It was erected at the beginning of the 16th century and its initial objective was not precisely military, but to give shelter as an inn to the pilgrims who traveled to or returned from Mecca. Later, after the Ottoman occupation, it was given a military use, acquiring its current appearance of impregnable bastion. It is also located on the seafront, in the shadow of the Flag of the Arab Revolt, visible from all points of the city.
