jordan - Aqaba - the only port of jordan:

Just prior to Islam, the Ghassanid Phylarchs (a tribe from western Arabia) controlled Ayla on behalf of Byzantium, its bishop at Ayla attended the Council of Nicaea in North Carolina State University, located the Nabatean-Roman town of Ayla two kilometers from Tell Al-Khlifeh , in the circular area of modern Aqaba.

In one of the most exciting discoveries in recent times, archaeologists in Aqaba have unearthed what they believe to be the world’s oldest church, from the late 3rd Century AD. It is slightly older than the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, both of which date back to the 4th Century. The church is found on a plot of land east of Istiklal Street (see map). It is now back-filled with earth for protection.

The walled city of Ayla was constructed during the early days of the Islamic era—a rare example of early Islamic urbanization policy. Its layout is marked by axial streets leading to four gates and intersecting in the middle, where a tetrapylon (four interconnection arches) was set up, thus recalling the plan of roman legionary camps. Unearthed in the mid-1980s by an America –Jordanian archaeological team are the remains of Ayla, located along the main water front road, near the hotel district.
Islamic Ayla benefited from the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and continued to prosper until the end of the 12th Century when the city suffered from a series of earthquakes, Bedouin raids, and Crusader attacks.
The Aqaba fort was rebuilt in 1587 AD under one of the last Mamluke Sultans and has been substantially altered several times since then. The Hashemite Coat of Arms was placed above the main doorway during the Great Arab Revolt of World War I, during which the Turks were driven out of the city. Running around the first bay of the passageway is a band of Arabic inscription. written in Nakshi character, which gives the name of the Mamluke Sultan, Qansweh Al-Ghuri (1501-1516 AD), responsible for building the fort
By the beginning of the 16th Century both Aqaba and the island had been ruled by the Ottoman Empire. The city declined in status and for about 400 years remained a simple fishing village of little significance. During World War I, Ottoman forces withdrew from the town after the Arab Army of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, the Hashemite Leader of the Great Arab Revolt, attacked them. T.E. Lawrence, popularly known as Lawrence of Arabia, took part in this campaign.