Á Qaba (Arabic: العقبة, Al-Aqaba) - a city in Jordan, which is its only seaport, as well as the only sea resort. Located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Aqaba of the Red Sea near the Israeli city of Eilat. The port specializes in the export of phosphates, as well as Iraqi oil. The population is 140 thousand people (2014) - about 2% of the population of Jordan.
The length of the coast of Aqaba is 27 km. It has many hotels and
restaurants. There are free beaches in the city. The temperature
here does not drop below 22 ° C (in winter). Due to the richness of
the underwater world of the Red Sea, the city is popular with scuba
diving enthusiasts. Aqaba has a very developed infrastructure for
diving.
Like in Eilat, there is an underwater aquarium, but it is a bit
simpler. Overall, the entertainment industry is present; the resort
is more free from religious Islamic influence than other cities in
Jordan - women allow themselves to dress easier. In addition, Aqaba,
like Eilat, has been declared a duty-free zone, which contributes to
the development of shopping: for this, Aqaba is nicknamed the
"economic lungs of Jordan."
The city is famous for the gigantic flag of the Arab Revolution,
located on the coast. The height of the flagpole is 136 meters, and
the size of the panel is 60 by 30 meters. The flag is clearly
visible from neighboring countries (Eilat in Israel and Taba in
Egypt) and is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the
largest flag in the world.
The first settlement appeared on the site of the city about 6
thousand years ago.
In ancient times, the city was called Elat, it was inhabited by the
Edomite people, then the Nabataeans, it was a large commercial
center. Then, under the name Aelana or Aila, he entered the Roman
Empire. Later it belonged to the Byzantines, the crusaders, was part
of the Arab caliphate, the Ottoman Empire. It was an important
center on the pilgrimage pilgrimage route to Mecca.
During World War I was taken by rebellious Arabs. After the war, he
entered the Arab kingdom of Hijaz, then to Saudi Arabia. In 1925, it
was ceded to the British protectorate Transjordan (the forerunner of
modern Jordan).
Aqaba is one of the most popular diving sites not only in the Middle East, but all over the World. Gulf of Aqaba is part of the Red Sea, one of the most diverse bodies of water in terms of diversity and status of preservation. Additionally Red Sea is litter by sunken ships and military cargo that was sunk here during military action. Human made objects surprisingly make a great base for growth of new coral forests.
Cedar Pride Sunken Ship (Aqaba)
Aqaba International Dive Center
Tarmac Five Sunken Ship (Aqaba)