Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Aqaba is both an ancient town as well as a work in progress.
There has been an inhabited settlement at the location since 4000 BC. Located at the very
end of the Gulf, the place has benefitted from its strategic location as the junction of trad-
ing routes between Asia, Africa, and Europe. The location gets a mention in the Bible, as a
place where King Solomon built ships, and it was one of the main ports for the Romans in
the region and the terminus for the Via Traiana Nova, the long distance road, that led south
from Damascus through Amman down to the Gulf.
Aqaba, Jordan's only seaport is not the prettiest place in the world, despite a promotional
television commercial that suggests otherwise.
There was a lot of construction going on and large housing developments were being built
out of town, simply to allow the authorities to move people out of the old town so that it
could be re-built.
In 1965 and in order to secure room for Aqaba to grow, King Hussein arranged a land swap
with the Saudi's. In return for 6,000 square kilometres of desert, the Saudis traded 12 kilo-
metres of prime coastline to the south of Aqaba. This would have gone close to doubling
Jordan's coastline.
Our presence in Aqaba was largely free-time until the rest of the group came in from Cairo
via the Sinai. The hotel, the Golden Tulip, was conveniently located for an exploratory walk
around, however, because of the curving waterfront, the street layout was a little confusing
and you needed to keep checking your location.
It was hot and there were massive amounts of litter in the form of plastic bags and bottles.
The beach areas within the precincts of the city were generally dirty, and crowded with
shabby roofed eateries that extended down to the water's edge and along the entire length of
the beach. It was not the place that attracted one to enter the water, although the water itself
was crystal clear.
There were a number of small glass bottom boats offering various viewing trips, although
it was my understanding that the nearest coral was some kilometres away. Several tankers
were anchored about a kilometre from the shore and newly constructed marinas held a num-
