The Aqaba Archaeological Museum lies adjacent to the Aqaba Castle and it is housed in the historical residence of Sharif Hussein bin Ali, leader of the Great Arab Revolt, and the great grandfather of King Abdullah II. The Hashemite Coat of Arms over the entrance was added after the Otomans were ousted from Aqaba during World War 1. This was Sharif Hussein’s residence for six years following the war.
The museum houses an important collection from the Islamic site of Ayla, with items that date to the Rashidun, Umayyad, Abbasid and Fatimid periods. The collection thus represents the Islamic periods from the mid-seventh to the beginning of the twelfth century AD.

Among the exhibits is a Kufic inscription of “Ayat al-Kursi” from the Holy Quran, which surmounted the Eastern (Egypt) gate of the city, and a hoard of gold Fatimid dinars minted at Sajilmasa in Morocco.

Artifacts displayed also include foreign pottery and coins left by ancient visitors.

The building of the castle is attributed to the architect Khayer Bey Al -’ Ala’i during the reign of the next-to-last Mamluk sultan.Qansuh al-Ghuri( 906-922 AH/AD 1510-1517 ), as evidenced by the inscription inside the entrance to the castle . An inscrption on two discs in the eastern iwan indcates that the building was renovated during the time of the Ottoman Sultan Murad ibn Selim Khan in the year 996 AH ( AD 1587 ),then it was restored again n 1038AH ( AD 1628 ) .

The castle was inhabited throughout the Ottoman period and a succession of restoration and reconstruction operations was accompanied by some altrations of the plan .

The castle was partially destrroyed, especially the area next to the western wall , as a result of shelling by British ships during the First World War . The Hashemite coat of arms was raised above the entrance soon after the victory of the Arab foreces of the Great Arab Revolt under Prince Faisal ibn al-Hussein and the withdrawal of the Ottoman forces from Aqaba n August 1917 .
The ground plan is an irregular square with the western wall measuring 50.75m , the eastern 49.70m and the southern 52.50m, The main entrance is in the norrthern wall , which is close in length to the southern wall . It is flanked by two semi- circular towers . The entrance vestibul is followed by a tri-partite corridor which Ieads onto a centraI open courtyard surrounded by rooms .HexagonaI and circuIar towers occupy the four corners of the fort The south-western tower is compIeteIy destroyed.

The castle was used as a khan, or inn, for the piIgrims from en-route to the hoIy pIaces of IsIam. It aIso served a miIitary function as attested by its fortified structure.

The Department of Antquities has carried out cIearance and restoration and excavated works in the castle since 1964.