The excavated remains of Ayla — the early Islamic city that preceded modern Aqaba — sit in a low-fenced archaeological park on the corniche, between the Mövenpick hotel and the city centre. The walled town was founded by the Umayyad caliphs around 650 CE on the site of the earlier Roman trading post of Aila and flourished as an entrepôt on the pilgrimage route to Mecca until an earthquake in 1068 destroyed most of it.
Visitors can walk through the site freely. The four city gates, the central street axis, the mosque foundations, and the perimeter walls are all clearly visible; explanatory panels in Arabic and English are scattered through the ruins. Free entry; allow about an hour. Visit in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the worst of the heat.