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Brief History:
For a long time
now the town of Aqaba has been through numerous histories and diverse
cultures. Dating back to the Nabateans the red sea port was used
as a trading route, connecting 'Aqaba' through southern Arabia and
Yemen. The Romans also used the Aqaba port after the Nabateans coming
down from Damascus through Amman to Aqaba, where it connected with
a west road leading to Palestine and Egypt. In the early days of
the Islamic era the city of Aila was built, which was unearthed
in the mid 1980's by an American-Jordanian archeological team, which
is a few minutes walk north along the main waterfront road in Aqaba.
The Crusaders occupied the area in the 12th century and built a
fortress which still remains well preserved till today. The fort
was rebuilt in the 14th century under one of the last Mamluk sultans
and has been rebuilt several times since then. Now the fortress
has been turned into a museum, which is located on the south east
side of the city along the sea side. Almost all the other traces
of early civilization in Aqaba have been wiped out, except for the
fortress which is now a museum, the ruins of the old Aqaba town
which are well presented with maps and signs, and the ruins of a
Roman Villa. Recently a new discovery of the world's oldest church
has been unearthed in Aqaba. Dating from the late 3rd century, the
26 x 16 meters structure is thought to be the oldest building built
specifically as a church. The Church is found east of Istiklal Street,
near the JETT bus station. These days Aqaba is considered a vacation
resort, which has been developing impressively in recent years.
Because of its aquatic climate Aqaba is a year round recreational
area, Sea sports, snorkeling, and diving are one of Aqaba's popular
activities.
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