Al-Humayma The site of Al-Humayma was called Hawraa in ancient times, , which refers to the color of the white hills surrounding the area. Idiomatically it also means a village from Damascus, Al-Balqa’, which was inhabited by Bani al-Abbas in the days of Bani Umayyah and Abd al-Malik bin Marwan deduct it for Ali bin Abdullah bin Abbas, as mentioned by Yaqut al-Hamawi. Al-Humayma is located 280 km south of Amman, 55 km north of Aqaba, and 40 km south of Petra. The region gained its importance from its location on the trade road of Trajan, which connects the north and the south, in addition to the Al-Shami pilgrimage route. The orientalist Dela Borde first visited Al-Humayma in 1830 AD, and Maughan visited it in 1874 AD, and the researcher Musil returned to the city in 1910 AD. Through the archaeological excavations that took place at the site, it dates back to the period of the Nabatean King Harith IV (87-62 BC). In the Roman era, the Roman Emperor Trajan cared about the city and built a commercial road and placed a military garrison in the city to protect trade convoys. The Abbasids built many religious and civil facilities in the city, such as the Roman Fortress, the palace, and the mosque.

Al ʻAqabah Castle The castle was built in a strategic location connecting the Levant, Egypt, and the Hijaz; on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Aqabah. It has gained historical importance, as it was mentioned in the books of historians such as Ibn Iyas (d. 930AH/1523AD), Abu Al Fida (d. 732AH-1331AD), and Al-Jaziri (d. 977AH/1352AD). It was described by Ibn Wasel (d. 697AH/1298AD). Site coordinates: (29.521720057967112N, 35.00204609325314E) Researchers differ on the date of its construction, as it was attributed to the Mamluk Sultan Qansuh al-Ghuri (d. 922AH/1516AD); Whose name was written in a huge inscription at its gate, but some have argued that its construction dates back to the time of Sultan al-Zahir in Baybars (d. 776AH/1277AD), as there is an inscription depicting his Rank (his own emblem) on one of the castle towers. The Department of Antiquities has conducted several excavations which led to approve archaeologically that it was built in three historical stages: 1. The first stage: was during the Abbasid-Fatimid period, based on the pottery sherds that were discovered in the castle and the comparison with other historical sources. It becomes clear from this that the Crusaders did not build the castle; rather, they rebuilt and used it. 2. The second stage: is the stage of Sultan al-Zahir Baybars, who was known as being interested in tower construction. His Rank was placed on the towers he built, which contains two facing lions; at this site it is on the northeastern tower of the castle. 3. The third stage: There is an inscription in huge overlapping letters engraved on the two opposite walls at the castle entrance, indicating that Sultan Qansuh Al Ghuri was the one who (ordered) the building of the castle, or (renewed) it in the year 910AH (1505AD). Within this stage comes renovating the castle by the Ottoman Sultan Murad bin Selim. A small inscription on the stone, which reads in general: “For our Lord, the honorable Sultan Murad bin Selim Khan, the glory of his victory, he renewed this castle in the year 996AH (1588AD)”.

Ayla The city of Ayla (Aqaba) was distinguished by its geographical locationas a coastal city located at the northeastern end of the Red Sea. The city is currently known as Aqaba and is the only port of Jordan, about 330 km south of Amman. This site had a prominent role before Islam, as as a connecting hub of the Levant, Egypt, and the Hijaz. It is located at latitude 31°-29° north and longitude 35° east. It was mentioned by geographers, including Ibn al-Kalbi, al-Maqdisi, al-Hamwi, al-Bakri, and others. The site was occupied by many civilizations inmcluding the Edomites, the Arameans, the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Persians, the Nabateans, the Ptolemies, the Romans, and the Byzantines. It was visited by many orientalist travelers such as Ruppel in 1822, Burton in 1878, and Musil in 1898, in addition to researchers such as Glueck in 1934-1936 AD, then followed by the research of Whitcomb in 1986 AD. It is located within the following coordinates E: 29.52984, N: 35.00019. The city of Ayla (Aqaba) and surrounding region containsmany important archaeological sites such as: Tell Al-Maqas, Hujirat Al-Ghazlan, Tall Al-Khalifi, Ayla Al-Islamiyya, Aqaba Castle, Wadi Rum, and Al-Humayma. At the present time, Aqaba has has become import due to the of Hashemite monarchymaking it an economic zone. The economic activities within the Aqaba Governorate are an important contributor to the Jordanain economy that employs a large number of the people in addition to providing a tourism destination with its sea and its archaeological monuments, which the Department of Antiquities seeks to rehabilitate and preserve for future generations. The excavations in Islamic Ayla revealed the city planning features, such as the mosque, the discovery of the southern wall, the circular tower that connects the western and southern city walls, the discovery of all the towers located on the western and southern sides, as well as the discovery of (32) gold coins dating from the Fatimid era.