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AKABA, GULF OF

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Originally appearing in Volume V01, Page 454 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.

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AKABA, GULF OF

AKABA, GULF OF , the Sinus Aelaniticus of antiquity, the eastern of the two divisions into which the Red See also:

Sea bifurcates near its See also:

NORTHERN

northern extremity. It penetrates into See also:

ARABIA

Arabia Petraea in a N.N.E. direction, from 28° to 29° 32' N., a distance of too m., and its breadth varies from 12 to 17 M. The entrance is contracted by Tiran and other islands, so that the passage is rendered somewhat difficult; and its See also:

NAVIGATION (from Lat. navis, ship, and agere, to move)

navigation is dangerous on See also:

account of the numerous See also:

CORAL

coral reefs, and the sudden squalls which sweep down from the adjacent mountains, many of which rise perpendicularly to a height of 2000 ft. The gulf is a continuation southward of the See also:

Jordan-'Araba depression. Raised beaches on the coast• show that there has been a considerable See also:

ELEVATION

elevation of the sea-See also:

bed. The only well-sheltered See also:

HARBOUR (from M.E. hereberge, here, an army; cf. Ger. Heer and -beorg, protection or shelter. Other early forms in English were herberwe and haiborow, as seen in various place names, such as Market Harborough.. The French auberge, an inn, derived through

harbour is that of Dahab (the See also:

GOLDEN

Golden See also:

PORT

Port) on its western See also:

SHORE

shore, about 33 M. from the entrance and 29 M. E. of See also:

MOUNT, WILLIAM SIDNEY (1807-1868)

Mount See also:

SINAI

Sinai. Near the See also:

head of the gulf is Jeziret Faraun (See also:

MEDIEVAL

medieval Graye), a rocky islet with the ruins of a See also:

castle built by See also:

Baldwin I. (c. 1115). About 22 M. from the head of the gulf and on its eastern See also:

side is the See also:

TOWN

TOWN OF AKABA, with a picturesque medieval castle, built for the See also:

PROTECTION

protection of pilgrims on their way from See also:

EGYPT

Egypt to See also:

MECCA (Arab. Makkah)

Mecca. In the neighbourhood are extensive groves of date palms, and there is an ample See also:

SUPPLY (through Fr. from Lat. supplere, to fill up)

supply of See also:

GOOD, JOHN MASON (1764-1827)

good See also:

WATER

water.

Akaba is of considerable See also:

HISTORICAL

historical See also:

INTEREST

interest and of See also:

GREAT

great antiquity, being the Elath or Eloth of the See also:

Bible, and one of the ports whence See also:

Solomon's See also:

FLEET

fleet sailed to See also:

OPHIR

Ophir. By the See also:

Romans, who made it a military See also:

POST

post, it was called Aelana. It continued to be the seat of great commercial activity under the See also:

early Moslem caliphs, who corrupted the name to Haila or Ailat. In the loth See also:

CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century an Arab geographer described it as the great port of See also:

PALESTINE

Palestine and the See also:

EMPORIUM (a Latin adaptation of the Gr. Eµabpuov, from f)

emporium of the See also:

HEJAZ (H1JAz)

Hejaz. In the 12th century the town suffered at the hands of See also:

SALADIN (Arab. Sala-ud-din, " Honouring the Faith ") (1138—1193)

Saladin and thereafter See also:

fell into decay. In 1841 the town was recognized by See also:

TURKEY

Turkey, together with the Sinai See also:

peninsula, as See also:

PART

part of Egypt. At that See also:

time See also:

EGYPTIAN

Egyptian pilgrims frequented Akaba in large See also:

numbers. In 1892, on the See also:

ACCESSION (from Lat. accedere, to go to, to approach)

accession of the See also:

KHEDIVE

khedive Abbas II., Turkey resumed See also:

possession of Akaba, the Egyptian pilgrims having deserted the See also:

LAND

land route to Mecca in favour of a sea passage. In 1906 the construction was begun of a See also:

BRANCH (from the Fr. branche, late Lat. branca, an animal's paw)

branch See also:

LINE

line joining Akaba to the Mecca railway and thus giving through communication with See also:

BEIRUT

Beirut. Early in the same See also:

YEAR

year the See also:

TURKS

Turks occupied Taba, a See also:

VILLAGE

village at the mouth of a small stream 8 m. by land W. by S. of Akaba, near which is the site, not identified, of the Ezion-See also:

GEBER

Geber of Scripture, another of the ports whence the argosies of the Israelites sailed. Taba being on the Egyptian side of the frontier, Great See also:

BRITAIN (Gr. Hperavuml vi7vot, Bperravia; Lat. Britannia, rarely Britannia)

Britain intervened on behalf of Egypt, and in May 1906 secured the withdrawal of the Turks.

End of Article: AKABA, GULF OF

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