World Cruise 2017 Day 82 Al ‘Aqabrah, Jordan

Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Today the ship arrived at a little before 8 AM in Al 'Aqabrah, Jordan.  At 9:10 AM I left on a tour called "Shoubak Castle".  We left the town of Al'Aqabrah and drove into the desert.  After a time on the main road we left on what is called the Kings Road.  We stopped for a rest stop at 10:45 AM.  The Kings Road followed close to the old spice route and we saw the area where Moses spent some time.  We passed close to Petra the amazing Rose-Red City of the Nabataeans at 11:10 PM.  We continued driving for another hour before arriving at the Shoubak Castle at 12:10 PM.  We left the visitor center and walked up a winding road to the remains of the Castle.  We spent some time at the castle and walked down the road to the bus.  A 1:30 we left the castle and drove on the desert road back to Al'Aqabrah.  We made a stop at a Bazaar and arrived back at the ship at 4:15.  Tonight was a movie night in the Queen's Lounge and it was a movie that I had already seen so I went to the Wajang Theater for the movie "May in Summer".

Jordan officially The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is an Arab kingdom in Western Asia, on the East Bank of the Jordan River. Jordan is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the east and south; Iraq to the north-east; Syria to the north; Israel, Palestine and the Dead Sea to the west; and the Red Sea in its extreme south-west.  Jordan is strategically located at the crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe. The capital, Aalmman, is Jordan's most populous city as well as the country's economic, political and cultural centre.

Aqaba also spelled Al'Aqabrah is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba. Situated in southernmost Jordan, Aqaba is the administrative centre of the Aqaba Governorate.  The city has a population of 188,160 and a land area of 375 square kilometers (144.8 sq mi).  Today, Aqaba plays a major role in the development of the Jordanian economy, through the vibrant trade and tourism sectors. The Port of Aqaba also serves other countries in the region.

Aqaba's strategic location at the northeastern tip of the Red Sea between the continents of Asia and Africa, has made its port important over the course of thousands of years.  The ancient city was called Ayla, its strategic location and proximity to copper mines, made it a regional hub for copper production and trade in the Chalcolithic period.  Ayla became a bishopric under Byzantine rule and later became a Latin Catholic titular see after Islamic conquest around 600 AD, when Ayla became known as Aqaba.  The Great Arab Revolt's Battle of Aqaba, depicted in the film Lawrence of Arabia, resulted in victory for Arab forces over the Ottoman defenders.

Aqaba's location next to Wadi Rum and Petra has placed it in Jordan's golden triangle of tourism, which strengthened the city's location on the world map and made it one of the major tourist attractions in Jordan. The city is administered by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, which has turned Aqaba into a low-tax, duty-free city, attracting several mega projects like Ayla Oasis, Saraya Aqaba, Marsa Zayed and expansion of the Port of Aqaba. They are expected to turn the city into a major tourism hub in the region. However, industrial and commercial activities remain important, due to the strategic location of the city as the country's only seaport.

The Shoubak Castle was built in 1115 by Baldwin I of Jerusalem during his expedition to the area where he captured Aqaba on the Red Sea in 1116. Originally called 'Krak de Montreal' or 'Mons Regalis', it was named in honour of the king's own contribution to its construction (Mont Royal). It was strategically located on a hill on the plain of Edom, along the pilgrimage and caravan routes from Syria to Arabia. This allowed Baldwin to control the commerce of the area, as pilgrims and merchants needed permission to travel past it. It was surrounded by relatively fertile land, and two cisterns were carved into the hill, with a long, steep staircase leading to springs within the hill itself.

This picture was taken from the ship coming into Aqabrah, Jordan.  The land is Egypt.

This picture was taken from the ship coming into Aqabrah, Jordan .  The land is Egypt.

This picture was taken from the ship.coming into Aqabrah, Jordan.  The land is Israel.

This picture was taken form the ship of Aqabrah, Jordan coming into the Cruise Terminal.

This picture was taken from the bus of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the bus of Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.  This is a wheat of barley field use to feed the animals.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way to the Shoubak Castle. 

This picture was taken at a stop on the way to the Shoubak Castle. 

This picture was taken at a stop on the way to the Shoubak Castle. 

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way to the Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.  This is a full picture.  See the next picture for a zoom picture. 

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.  This is a zoom of the previous picture of some old homes carved into the rock.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken on the path to the Castle.  I think this is mustard seed plants. 

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.

This picture was taken from the bus on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at the stop at Shoubak Castle.  This is the Wadi Rum Area.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken at a stop on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan.

This picture was taken on the way back to Aqabrah, Jordan near the cruise terminal.