If you are a museum enthusiast and a lover of military pieces, you must pack your bags and head to the city of Aqaba, south of Jordan, where a military museum awaits you, with tanks and mechanisms of different sizes and helicopters positioned according to a military plan simulating the battlefield, but this museum is not on land but at a depth Between 15 and 28 meters deep in the sea.
Jordan has launched a new experience near Aqaba Beach (325 km south of Amman), where it is possible to combine sport and underwater diving and enjoy the sight of old military vehicles that have emerged from field service. All these views can be seen also through glass bottom boats without having to go into the water.
The Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ESA), in cooperation with the Jordanian Armed Forces, has downloaded 19 different military pieces to the seabed from tanks, an armored ambulance, a military crane, a troop carrier, anti-aircraft guns and combat helicopters to encourage tourism and attract divers from around the world. , Following the success of the download of a civilian aircraft.
Amateur grooms
After diving around the museum, diving instructor Momen Abu Abdullah told Al Jazeera.net that diving enthusiasts had only limited places to practice their hobby. Aqaba Beach now has many options for diving enthusiasts, and there are sites for ships and planes that have been downloaded to the seabed. The past two decades have formed around coral reefs and have become a kiss for diverse fish.
Abu Abdullah, who has been diving for 20 years added that Aqaba is modest compared to many beaches in the Arab region, but the establishment of a military museum in its hall will help to create a unique artificial coral reef. The pressure on natural coral reefs provides a visually appealing attraction for tourists and dive enthusiasts.
| The museum includes tanks and mechanisms of different sizes and helicopters out of service |
The opening of the museum attracted the attention of several international media outlets, and was accompanied by the Jordanian Armed Forces Music Ensemble and the Aqaba Folklore Ensemble with national and folk songs.
“Diving enthusiasts can now swim in the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea and discover the first underwater military museum to offer adventure enthusiasts an ancient and fascinating piece of war,” the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority said in a statement.
The Authority added that the museum aims to show a new and unique type of museum experience, and it shows the interaction between sport and the environment and exhibits in front of the visitor.
The Environmental Affairs Commissioner of Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, SulaimanNajadat, explained that the project was carried out amidst environmental conditions and measures that took into consideration the implications of the establishment of this museum and that all mechanisms have been taken to ensure the protection and safety of the marine environment.
“Prior to the removal of the military pieces to the seabed, they were cleaned of oil and grease and removed from it and placed in sandy areas without harming the coral reefs, because the Aqaba coast is rich in seasonal fish diversity because of moderate temperatures in summer and winter, Migratory fish around the world “.
| Recent years have witnessed a rise in the preparation of diving users and a revival in the sector |
Sector recovery
The head of the Association of Diving Centers and Gawasi Jordan, Khmash Yassin, revealed that in recent years there has been an increase in the number of diving users and a clear recovery in the diving sector. He said that 12 thousand foreign tourists were stranded in the Gulf of Aqaba last year.
“The entry of low-cost Ryanair has increased European tourists’ access to Jordan, which has further improved the diving sector following the decline in tourism over the past years,” said Khammash.
He added that most of the participants in the diving experience are foreign tourists, pointing to the lack of promotion of this sport at the local level, and that the Diving Association is working to find alternatives to encourage Jordanians to experience in partnership with the Ministry of Tourism so that all Jordanians to come to Aqaba and participate in programs for diving .
