Aqaba’s history dates back to the 4th millenium BC. The port city’s early name was Ayla. The name was changed to Aqaba in the 14th century by the Mamluks. Aqaba was taken from the Ottomans in 1917 by Arab forces, with the help of T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia). At the end of World War I, the British secured Aqaba for Jordan.