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TTA<br />
14<br />
Aqaba<br />
Famed for its preserved coral reefs and<br />
unique sea life, this Red Sea port city was,<br />
in ancient times, the main port for<br />
shipments from the Red Sea to the Far<br />
East. The Mameluk Fort, one of the<br />
main historical landmarks of<br />
Aqaba, rebuilt by the Mameluks<br />
in the 16th century. Square in<br />
shape and flanked by<br />
semicircular towers,<br />
the fort is marked with<br />
various inscriptions<br />
marking the latter<br />
period of the Islamic<br />
dynasty. The current<br />
excavations at the<br />
ancient site of the early<br />
Islamic town Ayla, with<br />
its two main streets<br />
intersecting in the<br />
middle and dating back<br />
to the 7th century<br />
already revealed a gate<br />
and city wall along with<br />
towers, buildings and a<br />
mosque. The museum<br />
houses a collection of<br />
artefacts collected in the region, including<br />
pottery and coins. Aqaba also hosts the<br />
house of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, the great<br />
grandfather of King Abdullah II. Other<br />
places of interest include the mud brick<br />
building thought to be the earliest church<br />
in the region.