Sharif Hussein bin Ali’s House in Aqaba
Located next to the historical Aqaba Castle, Sharif Hussein bin Ali’s house was built in 1917 by the people of Aqaba in the style of Hijazi homes. He lived in it before he was exiled from there to Cyprus on 17 June 1925.
The house was turned into a government building in the 1930s. Later, it was restored and turned into the Aqaba Antiquities Museum that showcases items related to the Great Arab Revolt, in addition to artefacts from Aqaba. This national museum currently houses an inscription of Ayat Al Kursi (Verse 255 from Surat Al Baqara in the Quran), a collection of gold dinars from the Fatimid period, ceramic artefacts and a coronary of sand and stone uncovered in Ayla.
At the Great Arab Revolt Courtyard, in front of Sharif Hussein bin Ali’s House, a ceremony was held on 2 October 2004 under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II to hoist the 60 x 30 metre Great Arab Revolt banner on a 133-metre pole similar to the one where the Jordanian flag is hoisted at the RHC grounds in Amman.
The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan’s celebrations of the Great Arab Revolt Centennial in 2016 were launched in Aqaba, which witnessed major events upon the start of the Revolt. A ceremony was held in front of Sharif Hussein’s House to raise the Great Arab Revolt’s banner once more under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II.
