Al 'Aqabah

Al 'Aqabah, also Al Aqaba, (ancient Elath; later Aelana), city in south-west Jordan, seaport at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, an arm of the Red Sea. In antiquity the town, then called Elath, the principal city of the Edomite peoples, was a major commercial centre. As Aelana, it became an important Roman garrison. Today Al 'Aqabah is the only seaport of Jordan; its exports include phosphates and shells. It is also a popular tourist resort. Because of its strategic location, the port has figured in various Arab-Israeli confrontations; it was occupied by Israel from November 1956 until January 1957. Population 41,900 (1989 estimate).