Aqaba is the only city in Jordan located by the sea. It was once the most important port at the Red Sea and connected the region with the Middle and Far-East. For seafarers this ancient city has been the gateway to South Arabia, Egypt, India and China since time immemorial. Aqaba is famous for its pink-coloured gravestones and temples, hewn straight from the sandstone cliffs. Other sights include the 12th century fort and the region's unique underwater world.
Tips for excursions
Petra
For hundreds of years the ruined city of Petra lay concealed at the end of a narrow gorge. In 1985 the ruins, which were constructed in the heyday of the Nabateans, were declared a cultural monument. Worth seeing are above all the well-preserved tomb complexes in the red, yellow and violet sandstone cliffs.