Ancient Ayla Ruins
Tucked between a modern hotel and a busy road near the Ayla Oasis development, the ruins of ancient Ayla are one of the most historically significant — and most overlooked — sites in all of Jordan. This was the first Islamic city built outside the Arabian Peninsula, and its crumbling mud-brick walls have been quietly standing here since the 7th century.
The First Islamic City Outside Arabia
Ayla was the original settlement of Aqaba, founded in the early Islamic era as a key waypoint on the pilgrimage route to Mecca and a thriving Red Sea port. It was later destroyed by Crusader and Bedouin attacks, and the ruins lay buried and forgotten until archaeologists rediscovered them in the 1980s.
What you see today is a compact rectangle of low mud-brick walls, the outline of streets and a central mosque — enough to read the urban logic of an early Islamic town if you walk it slowly. The site is free to visit and almost always quiet, a striking contrast to the busy resort hotels that now surround it.
How to Visit & What to Look For
The ruins sit near the Ayla Oasis development in the north of Aqaba, a short taxi ride from the Corniche. There are no entry barriers or ticket booths — you simply walk up to the perimeter and look in, though some sections allow closer access. A bilingual information board explains the layout and the city's place in Islamic history.
Pair a visit to Ayla with the Aqaba Archaeological Museum near the fort, which displays artefacts recovered from the site including Bronze Age pottery and medieval Islamic coins. Together they give you the full 7,000-year arc of human settlement in this corner of the Red Sea — in under two hours.
Ancient Ayla Ruins on video
More of Aqaba
Discover where to stay, what to do and the best deals for your trip.
Explore Aqaba →
