By Taylor Luck

AMMAN – Recent excavations on Aqaba Fort have led experts to believe that the structure was rebuilt earlier than previously thought, dating the fortress back to the time of Salaheddine. Teams consisting of Jordanian and Belgian experts from Kent University, which have been excavating the site since 2000, this year discovered extensions to the fortress walls that predate the fort itself by a few hundred years. It had previously been believed that the fortress, which was originally constructed by Crusaders, was rebuilt extensively during the late Mamluk period around the 15th century.

The new discovery, however, indicates that the structure was developed well before, in the Ayyubid period, dating back to the 12th century, according to Sausan Fakhry, head of Aqaba office of the Department of Antiquities (DoA).

According to Fakhry, archaeologists had long suspected the fortress was rebuilt prior to the 15th century, as previous excavations had unearthed pottery shards linked to the Ayyubid dynasty, which was established by Salaheddine around the year 1170.

The fort, which had been used by the Ottomans and later as a military post by Jordanian forces following the Great Arab Revolt, is one of the best preserved in the region, serving as a line of defence for the port city for nearly a 1,000 years, she pointed out.

She added that similar structures can only be found in Egypt, which served as the powerbase for the Mamluk dynasty.

“You can find the same walls, gates and stones in Egypt, making Jordan and Egypt the only countries to house such structures,” Fakhry told The Jordan Times.

Future excavations will explore surrounding areas outside the fort, with the DoA hoping to find further facilities and towers also dating back to the Ayyubid period, she said.

Fakhry added that the west wing of the fortress, which was closed off for the excavation season, will be reopened to tourists soon, with plans in place to establish a small museum detailing the history of the structure and the surrounding area.

Aqaba, which was the site of a decisive victory in the Great Arab Revolt, was once known as the walled city of Ayla and thrived during the early days of the Islamic era.

Excavations elsewhere have shown that the Red Sea port city had been an important trade route as early as the Bronze Age, with conclusive evidence linking the area’s trade with Pharaohonic Egypt.

(Fonte: custodia terra sancta org 11 ottobre 2008 – Jordan Times 01 settembre 08)