Capture of Aqaba
1917 CE · Jordan
The Capture of Aqaba was fought in 1917 CE in Jordan between Arab Revolt forces with British support vs the Ottoman Empire; Arab victory; the port was taken from the landward side and became the revolt's supply base.
Capture of Aqaba: quick facts
- Date
- 1917 CE
- Location
- Jordan
- Belligerents
- Arab Revolt forces with British support vs the Ottoman Empire
- Commanders
- Auda abu Tayi, Sherif Nasir and T. E. Lawrence vs the Ottoman garrison
- Result
- Arab victory; the port was taken from the landward side and became the revolt's supply base.
- Era
- ⚔️ Ottoman & Islamic Empires
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Capture of Aqaba?
Arab rebel forces, guided by T.E. Lawrence ('Lawrence of Arabia'), captured the strategic Ottoman port of Aqaba by attacking overland from the desert, a direction the Ottoman defenses did not cover. The daring raid involved a grueling march across the Nefud Desert followed by a dramatic camel charge. The capture of Aqaba provided a vital supply port for the Arab Revolt and opened a new front against the Ottoman Empire in World War I.
Did you know?
T.E. Lawrence's march on Aqaba covered some of the most inhospitable desert on earth. The overland approach was considered so impossible that the Ottoman garrison's guns all faced out to sea.
Sources and further reading
- Capture of Aqaba on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.