Aqaba history goes back a long way to almost 6,000 years ago, which is well into the pre-Biblical era. Archaeologists have been fascinated about Aqaba’s past and have tried to dig out the ancient origins of the city. The original name of the city was Ayla. The Old Testament has references to a place where the current city of Aqaba exists. 

Aqaba in 1st Millennium A.D. 

At the turn of the first millennium after Christ, the Nabataeans lived in Ayla. Over the next 200 years, the city was used by the Roman merchants as a seaport. There was a brief interlude when the city came under the control of tribals from west Arabia who ruled here in the name of Byzantine Empire. The city eventually came under Islamic religious domination in 630 A.D. Islamic rule was experimenting with secluded walled areas for Muslims in its dominions, and Ayla became one of the first cities to undergo this experiment. Some archaeologists from the U.S. unearthed the walled city of Ayla in 1980s. 

Dark Middle Ages for Aqaba 

Until the turn of second millennium A.D., the Islamic city of Ayla enjoyed prosperity and wealth due to the annual Mecca pilgrimages. But in 1100s, several natural disasters struck the city which weakened its power. It gave an opportunity for Crusaders and Bedouins to plunder the city, and eventually Crusaders seized its control from the Islamic rulers. The city continued to suffer due to the continuous struggle for control between the Crusaders and the Muslim rulers. 

Years of Lost Glory 

Due to the continuous battles for power, Aqaba began to lose its shine as a major trading and transportation destination. It came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire in early 1500s. But the position of Aqaba had already been undermined by that time. The city continued to exist as a primitive fishing village with no political or commercial clout. 

Conquest by Lawrence of Arabia 

When the First World War began, the Ottoman army in Aqaba was attacked by the Arabs. British warrior Thomas Edward Lawrence became the hero of this campaign, and popularly came to be regarded as “Lawrence of Arabia.” After the World War was over, Aqaba began to prosper once again as a prosperous city. Finally, in 1965 a formal agreement was drawn between Saudi Arabia and Jordan to define the territory of Aqaba and make it an undisputed part of Jordan. Ever since then, Aqaba has served as a prominent trading center in the Middle East, and is regarded as the city of peace and prosperity in the region.