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Start planning your cruise and book your excursions to Aqaba
If you’re interested in ancient history, Aqaba is a fantastic stop on your MSC cruise in the Middle East. Jordan’s only seaport has been an important trading port since 1500 BC and under Byzantine rule it’s thought the world's first church was built here.
MSC Cruises excursions offer plenty of exciting things to see including:
• The ancient city of Petra
• Wadi Rum carved out of rock
• The Red Sea resort
Half-built, half-carved into rock, and surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges, the ancient city of Petra is one of the most spectacular archaeological sites in the world. Yet it was hidden and unknown for centuries until Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer, rediscovered it in 1812. Dating to around 3,000 BC, it was capital of the Nabataean Kingdom, an ancient nomadic Arabic tribe who enjoyed immense wealth from the incense trade.
Nicknamed “Rose City” because of the pink sandstone cliffs that its tombs and temples are carved into, today it is a listed UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Take an MSC excursion to explore Wadi Rum, a valley cut into sandstone and granite in Southern Jordan. Rock paintings, graffiti and temples are evidence of the many human cultures that lived here. An MSC excursion offers one of the easiest ways to experience the Arabic desert, and this is quintessential desert country. It’s another world here, so it’s no surprise that it’s been shot as a backdrop for films like the Red Planet, the Last Day
on Mars and the Martian.
To make your visit even more unforgettable, have tea and lunch in a traditional Bedouin tent.
After the heat of the desert, you’ll welcome a dip in the Red Sea from the beach in Aqaba, with its calm, crystal-clear waters and thriving, marine life, it’s an ideal snorkelling site.
