Al ‘Aqabah

Al ‘Aqabah, also Al Aqaba, (ancient Elath; later Aelana), city and port in southwestern Jordan, at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, an arm of the Red Sea. Al ‘Aqabah is Jordan's only seaport; its exports include phosphates and shells. Both Al ‘Aqabah and nearby Elat, Israel, are popular tourist resorts. In ancient times, the town, then called Elath, was the principal city of the Edomite peoples and a major commercial center. Later named Aelana, the city became important as a Roman garrison. Later held by Byzantines, Crusaders, Muslims, and the Ottoman Turks, the city became a way station for Muslims making the pilgrimage to Mecca. Al ‘Aqabah was captured by Arabs led by British soldier T. E. Lawrence during World War I (1914-1918). Following the war, the city became part of the independent kingdom of Al Ḩijāz (also the Hejaz, now in Saudi Arabia); in 1925 it was ceded to the British protectorate of Transjordan (present-day Jordan). Because of its strategic location, the port of Al ‘Aqabah has figured in several Arab-Israeli confrontations, and was occupied by Israel from November 1956 until January 1957. Al ‘Aqabah experienced significant growth during the 1980s when it became a major port for Iraqi imports; however, sanctions imposed by the United Nations following the Persian Gulf War (1991) made trade with Iraq illegal. Population 41,900 (1989 estimate).