Aqaba, Jordan skyline: the 11 most iconic buildings and best views in Aqaba

One of the landmarks of Aqaba and one of most well-known mosques in Jordan. The Arabic word Sharīf literally means 'elected' or 'respectable'. It became a title given to those who were charged with defending their communities. It is an honorary title of high value that was also used for Hussein Bin Ali, Sharif and Emir of Mecca from 1908 to 1917, to whom this mosque is dedicated. He declared the beginning of the Great Arab Revolt on 10 June 1916, leading the rebels and organizing the ranks of the army.

Interesting mosque. There is no entrance fee and the guard speaks English. You can see the people to pray and understand a bit of their culture. It is very clean place and interesting architecture.

Nice mosque, in the Ayla Square. Not so modern but nice decor.

Really recommend visiting this Mosque. The staff at the gate provides us hijab because we were not properly dressed ( women need to cover their head, shoulder and arms). Take off your shoes when you enter the Mosque. Every one we encountered inside was very nice. A girl brought us all cold water. One staff asked if we have any questions so we started talking and learned a bit about Islam. It was a pity that our discussion was cut short because there was a prayer coming up so we had to leave.

The largest mosque in Aqaba. The mosque isn’t as elaborate as other larger mosques, but if you like to visit mosques, put this one on your list. It doesn’t take long to quickly look around. The Imam is very friendly.

The Sharif Hussein bin Ali Mosque is one of the most prominent religious and historical landmarks in Aqaba. Known for its stunning architecture and spiritual atmosphere, it is a must-visit destination for travelers exploring the city. The mosque offers visitors a unique blend of cultural heritage, tranquility, and historical significance, making it an essential stop on any Aqaba tour.

After the call to prayer you may go inside, women must be covered and can ask for a skirt and a scarf at the main entrance. Beautiful structure with displays of arabesque.

An interesting dig site, with some old pillars, remnants of the ancient Ayla city. Information boards are dotted around and impart the history of the site. Entrance is free and it's worth a quick stop of you are in the area.

The ancient ruins take you back to the 7th century, offering a glimpse of Islamic culture and heritage. Unfortunately, there is not much left to explore. You can see parts of old mosques and trade route relics. There are few signs explaining the history. A must-visit if you love learning about the early Islamic period.

This place was ok but to be honest there isn’t much to see here. It’s on the side of a main road and it looks like it’s just been left for people to walk around. There are information plaques around to give you information but it’s far from impressive when you compare to other sights we’ve seen whilst in Jordan. It’s not a must to be honest.

This complex has ruins of an old city that existed thousands of years. The place is quite small, and doesn’t have walking paths. The place is sandy. No much attention given to it, and entrance is free. Expect to spend no more than 15 minutes here. Very close to it is a Byzantine Church, the Aqaba Fort, and the Sherif Hussain bin Ali Museum.

An important site for history bluffs with an interest in early Islamic history, culture and art. The site is small and showcases a few of the landmarks of the early Islamic town of Ayla, founded by the mid 7th century. These landmarks are the Early Abassid Mosque, the Central Pavilion and the Egyptian Gate-street. Most other areas are basically reburied for protection. A segment of the seaward wall is inside the Movenpick beach property. There is a marked path with new and helpful information boards that explain and interpret the history and remaining architecture of this ancient Islamic city. A visit of 20 minutes will suffice for most visitors.

Awesome free historic site to visit if in Aqaba, Jordan! Bring comfortable walking shoes. Learn from the historic signs how the ancient city of Aqaba came to exist - starting as a protected trading post with fortified walls, 2 main streets and 4 gates (Northern Gate coming from Egypt, Eastern Gate from Damascus, Hejaz for the Southern Gate and Western Gate led to the sea). This ancient city, called Aqaba by the Mamlukes, referring to the mountains west of the city (the arabic word refering to road with steep slopes), was also called Elot in the bible, Berenice by the ancient Greeks and Aela/Aliana during the Roman and Islamic eras.

Nice relaxing archeological site with just a few building ruins. Not a whole lot to see but the location is fantastic and a great place just to wander and enjoy.

Visited this cute museum with the family, entrance was free / included via Jordan Pass. It's about 5-6 rooms, but great summary of the history and context of the Hashemite Kingdom. Information is in Arabic and English.

If you have a jordanpass, the entrance fee to this museum is included. But it's not expensive, though. The museum consists of some rooms. Not too big collections. But It's quite interesting. Especially about the ancient people of Jordan. Not too many visitors here. The place is between the flagpole and the Aqaba castle.

Great place to learn about history of aqaba and Hashemite family,restored from an old building while keeping it original features

This Museum is not here? We found Sharif Hussein's House Museum to be in this location which seemed to be closed as well (despite google opening hours saying that one should be open, however no opening hours or information could be found outside the main closed gate). This is confusing as the jordan pass website the Aqaba Museum should still exist. We couldn't find out if the museum has changed location or closed for good? Don't waste your time, do something else!

As of today the building has been repurposed and now houses a permanent exhibition on the Great Arab Revolt. It's function as a regional archaeological museum ceased for good many years ago.

Fabulous tour by the museum director. Clear explanation of a complex piece of history. Good facilities and fabulous staff thanks so much

Small but informative. I got to know the history of Jordan

Well maintained fort, not much left but there was an art exhibition and overall enjoyed the place. Couple of stairs going up and take that for a panaromic view of the fort and surroundings.

Leave your Jordan pass at home! It's free! The Fort looks like there was recent reconstruction happening. Would be quite interesting, unfortunately there is minimal signage here. Wouldn't drive here for this, but when you are in town it's still worth checking it out. Plan a good 10 minutes.

It is a beautiful historical place to visit; it is a Mamluk and Ottoman fortified caravanserai on the pilgrimage route to Mecca and Medina, which, in its current form, dates back mainly to the 16th century. It was used significantly as a military stronghold in the century preceding the First World War. Clean and small, the remaining part is small but reflects how it was somehow. I don't like only the lack of a tour guide, and they are used partially as an art gallery for long-term artists, which shows less respect for such a great historical place.

nice small fortress in the city centre of Aqaba. You don‘t need much time. Free with Jordan Pass.

This is one of few historical landmarks in Aqaba, and is worth the visit. The place is very well-maintained, and involves rooms, stables, and a mosque. The place involves climbing stairs and walking through dark paths. The fort entrance has some lovely and visible Arabic writings. Entering the place is free, and expect to spend around 15-30 minutes exploring. Adjacent to the fort is the Sherif Hussein bin Ali Museum (AKA Aqaba Museum). The Aqaba Flag Pole is within walking distance, and so are plenty of restaurants and cafes.

"Visiting Aqaba Castle was like stepping back in time. The fortress stands proudly as a symbol of history, culture, and resilience. Its ancient walls, unique architecture, and the stories they carry make it a must-see landmark for anyone visiting Aqaba. The atmosphere is peaceful, with stunning views that connect the Red Sea’s beauty to Jordan’s rich past. Walking through the castle grounds, you can almost feel the echoes of history surrounding you. Truly an unforgettable experience and one of Aqaba’s treasures!"

Tell me I'm in Minecraft. The beach is super close. Chill both 😀 (btw it’s free)

10/10 experience, we did a 1 hour glass boat tour. We saw several coral reefs and plenty of fish and under water vehicles! Tito was awesome, made sure we got our pictures and gave us explanation of everything. Highly recommend, best glass boat tour!

Took the glass boat tour for 1h30 with my 3 kids and it was wonderful. We saw many fish, corals and underwater sunken ship, plane and army tank. Highly Recommended!

It was a good price, 20JD pp for 2hrs. We saw sunbed tanks, planes and boats.lots of coral and we travelled up and down the coastline. Our captain spoke great English and explained all the new development that would be happening. Very good trip.

Perfect 3h trip with lovely guides Tareq and Osama. Precise and heartful explanations, careful of every aspect every moment. Simply perfect. Highly recommended and with honest price well deserved by the crew. If you wish a perfect coral view from a glass boat and through snorkeling, they are the one.

It was an amazing experience we had, tareq was professional explaining everything, unfortunately we didnt have more time but next time we will use ur service again Thank u again Tareq

I did the one hour glass boat tour with Tareq and his colleague, and it was a wonderful experience! I came on a less-busy weekend so I had the entire boat to myself. Awesome views and superb explanations of Aqaba’s sea life and history. Tareq has several other trips available (speedboats, snorkeling, diving, etc.) at great prices. After the trip we grabbed coffee and watched the sunset. 10/10 experience!

Tarek made our glass boat trip in Aqaba unforgettable! He’s very knowledgeable, shared so much information, and made the whole tour both fun and educational. Highly recommend him if you want the best experience!

Well made and well maintained. Beautiful. We had a nice walk in the village. Went through almost all its inner streets. Was very clean and welcoming. Of course expensive but its an option that you can choose to go to. There is an only adult street with bars and DJ. If you’re looking for a luxury stay and don’t care about having a pool and beach access this is your place to go to.

For me, I think the vibes in this place are great, but the prices are expensive for the original city in Aqaba. Another thing is, it’s extremely boiling weather during the day so you are not going to enjoy the vibes at all.

We actually visited this place one evening by chance and we are very glad we did. It certainly deserves more publicity. There are very nicely arranged promenades, shops of world brands, restaurants, cafes and ice cream shops, but also all kinds of different stalls on the street. According to the maps, there is also an option for high-end accommodation, but we did not use it. Of course, the prices correspond to the location, but nothing extra extravagant. The evening videomapping was a wonderful experience. Parking is free, expect checks when entering.

Ayla one of the best markets that I have ever visit. I recommend all residents of Aqaba to visit it

Magnificent place. Clean & beautifully designed. Lots of shops & restaurants around. Public restrooms available. Free parking available

Great place to visit with my family we enjoyed our time here.

Fantastic place so nice, I like it!

I love this public spot — my son especially enjoys coming at night to go fishing. It’s a peaceful and safe place, perfect for families to spend quality time together. Highly recommend for a relaxing evening outdoors!

Worth the visit Food, drinks and entertainment available View 🔟 out of 🔟

Seeing the huge flag waving high on the Aqaba Flagpole against the clear blue sky was a powerful reminder of Jordan's rich history and national pride. The Aqaba Flagpole is a 130-meter tall landmark in Jordan, erected in 2004. It flies a massive flag commemorating the Great Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. It is a major tourist attraction and a powerful symbol of Jordanian history and independence.

To avoid people, I went in the morning to capture the Arab Revolt Flagpole in the plaza. The Plaza offers a lot of cafes and restaurants as well. It has an amazing viewpoint of Palestine and the Red Sea which is really amazing to look at.

Family friendly area with variety of coffee shops and restaurants

Well it is certainly tall. But it has historical value because it embraces the flag of the Great Arab Revolt and is located near the house of the Leader of the Arab Revolution, Al Hussein Bin Ali. It is also the site where the first bullet of the Arab Revolt was shot. Each color represents a meaning with red symbolizing the blood of the martyrs, green for peace and sustainability, black signifies oppression, and white for the bright future. Standing at 130m, it is the sixth tallest unsupported flagpole in the world.

nice place and you can take your family and kids its safe place for them thank you jordan

It is not a classic shopping center, rather a place with lots of different restaurants including fastfoods or a pub where you can have a draft Guinness. Simply good place to go for a meal or drink.

Nice shopping center with restaurants (McDonalds, wings and burger restaurants, to many a few) as well as duty free store

Went there an to be honest we didn't know what this place was, it's like an abandoned place. Nothing was there.

Very good 👍🏽

Good selection of restaurants and souvenir shops.

Good place , tasty food, very kind and careful l staff

Nice little mall with a good selection of restaurants. We tried the Rovers English pub and was very good.

Very simple hotel, no luxury but enough for 1-2 nights. Very helpful gentleman who accommodated us. The advantage of the hotel is that it is located practically in the city center, next to it is a grocery store, a liquor store. Nearby is the beach. There are car rental companies nearby.

The rooftop has a great view to the city, staff is very welcoming and the rooms were cheap enough for one night. They although need some renewal, escecially the balcony door which was not possible to close and the bathroom where the piping was not covered or finished and the toilet has low water pressure.

DANGEROUS place! A woman traveling alone was attacked (succumbing to physical injuries) during the night in the room next to ours in this hostel. The assailant was let into the building and directed to the woman's room by hotel staff. After the incident, the hotel doorman/manager entered the woman's room and touched her inappropriately. When we intervened, the doorman/manager attempted to dissuade us from calling the police. When we realized the hotel staff were conspiring with the assailant, we evacuated immediately. Moreover, our room was filthy upon check-in. Please do yourself a favour and avoid this place at all costs!

Ecinomical stay in city center of Aqaba. Most of attraction on walking distance. Manager is very helpful and always smiling. AUG2022 15 JD per night.

Price/performance winner. Parking, city centre is just there, nice and helpful stuff.

This might not be the most luxurious place to stay, but the warmth and kindness of the staff (I forgot your name, I am so sorry!!!), will make up for it tenfold. Whatever help or recommendations you need, you will be given it with love and a smile. Thank you for your kindness and everything you did, we really appreciate it! Besides that the location is great for some shopping and a lot of delicious eateries are right around the corner. The beach is just a short walk away.

So nice place! Friendly workers and close to everything.

The place was closed for renovations but it was no information about it anywhere. We even check in the tourist information in town and they were not aware.

(Translated by Google) You can visit it if it is not time for prayer (Original) Se puede visitar si no es hora de rezo

(Translated by Google) good (Original) جيد