LOCAL ESSENTIALS

LOCAL CULTURE

Arabic coffee

Arabic coffee is a generic name that refers to the way coffee is prepared in many Arab Gulf countries. The best Arabic coffee is made from freshly roasted beans over a charcoal fire and ground in a stone mortar. It has a special coffee pot called dallah, served with the right hand. The serving cups are small with no handles, with only very small portions of coffee poured, covering the bottom of the cup. It is almost always accompanied with dates and offered at most social events like weddings and funerals. Coffee serving is a ceremony. Rules of etiquette on this subject require the hostess to personally hand around the cups where the eldest or the most important person in the room is served first. When you are offered Arabic coffee by your host, do not say no. Once you are finished shake your cup from side to side, this will mean to the person holding the coffee pot that you do not want any more. However, should you want more coffee, all you have to do is hold out your cup to the person who has the coffee pot.

Dress Code

Aqaba is a resort, the dress code is casual but swim wear and other revealing clothing should only be worn on the beach.

Jordanian National Dish

mansaf (a rice and lamb meat dish cooked with yoghurt) should be eaten using your hands. It's a local tradition and a sign of respect.

Photography

It is polite to ask permission to take photographs of people.

DID YOU KNOW ?

Aqaba Castle

Aqaba Castle, measures around 50m by 50m although it is unusual in having sides of slightly uneven length. It is worth looking around as it has been partially reconstructed and gives some sense of its original form. The first castle may have been built by the Crusaders in the 13th century, but most scholars attribute its construction to the Mamluks during the reign of the sultan Qansur al-Ghuri (1510-17), as attested by the attractive relief inscriptions in Arabic inside the entrance gate.

Aqaba Archaeological Museum

The Aqaba Museum is housed in the historic residence of Sharif Hussein Bin Ali, leader of the Great Arab Revolt of 1916, known as Jordan’s window to the sea, Aqaba is also known as one of the world’s most historical locations on earth. History enthusiasts and tourists from all corners of the globe head to Aqaba for close encounters with Aqaba museums and the ancient art and artifacts on display.

Religion

The world's oldest church, dating back to the third century AD, was recently discovered in Aqaba.