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Aqaba - Culture |
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Aqaba offers a refreshing change from more sophisticated resorts. Whilst all your needs are well catered to, tourism in Aqaba is in its infancy, and therefore you won't find crowds of people everywhere you go. Aqaba gives a true flavour of the rich Arabic culture and heritage, from the melodic call of the surrounding mosques, to the tempting aromas wafting from local restaurants, and the enchanting Arabic music heard around every street corner.
The
current excavations at the ancient site of Medieval Islamic Ayla already
revealed a gate and city wall along with towers, buildings, a town
mosque, courtyards and baths. The
Museum houses a collection of artefacts collected in the region,
including pottery and coins. It also hosts the house of Sharif Hussein
Bin Ali, the great grandfather of King Abdullah II. |
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Greatly
cherished as the only outlet to the sea, the port city of Aqaba located
at the southern western point of Jordan provides a breath of fresh air
and the only real beach resort to Jordanians and tourists alike who flock
there in their droves. Best known for its clean sandy beaches, Aqaba also
boasts nine months of mild summer weather during autumn, winter and
spring. When temperatures reach a chilly 10 degrees Celsius in Amman, the
temperature in Aqaba can be an envious 25 degrees Celsius. Summer is hot
though and activities should adapt to the climate, slowing down in midday
and reviving in the cool of the evening.
When
fantasy, sun and sea meet the charms and atmosphere antiquity, the
visitor can find himself, at any time of the year, at the Red Sea resort
of Aqaba. For water sports and winter warmth, Aqaba is warm, sunny and
inviting, fringed with palm trees, lapped by the crystal clear waters of
the Gulf of Aqaba, cooled by a steady northerly breeze, and ringed by
mountains that change in colour with the change of the hours.
Life
in Aqaba moves at a slower pace and is the perfect location to unwind and
enjoy a tranquil holiday far from the crowds. You'll return home relaxed
after spending your days
Aqaba
has much to offer the visitor. A utopia for watersports enthusiasts,
Aqaba's year-round warmth offers the perfect climate for swimming,
windsurfing, water-skiing, canoeing, jet skiing and snorkelling. The
diving conditions in the Red Sea are world-renowned and a kaleidoscope of
corals and aquatic life can be found just meters off shore.
You
don't have to get wet to familiarise yourself with Aqaba's marine life.
The Marine Sciences Centre houses an aquarium which introduces you to
some of the exotic underwater species that live in the Red Sea. Besides
the joys of sun, sea and sand, Aqaba also hosts interesting sites which
include the Mameluk Fort at the end of the corniche, the remains of the
medieval town of Ayla opposite the Miramar Hotel and the castle of
Saladin (Salahudeen) which is situated on an island in the middle of the
Gulf. There is also the museum of the Department of Antiquities dedicated
to the preservation of artefacts in the area.
The
Mameluk Fort, One of the main historical land marks of Aqaba was
originally a Crusader Castle, rebuilt by the Mameluks in the sixteenth
century. Square in shape and flanked by semicircular towers, the fort is
marked with various inscriptions marking the latter period of the Islamic
dynasty.
