The people of Aqaba come out of the castle and announce a new birth to the city
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, after the castle became cramped with its inhabitants, the people decided to go out and live outside it.
At that time, most of the lands around the castle were barren, apart from some scattered palm trees, which were owned by the Bedouins of Aqaba. So, the people revived the dead land, and they dug wells and built houses and huts around the castle.
They also cultivated lands, and established farms and orchards, which were later called "Hafayer", announcing the birth of the modern city of Aqaba.
The traveler and painter (David Roberts) who visited Aqaba on February 27, 1839 referred to the presence of a few small houses outside the castle and referred to Aqaba as a quiet and small place made up of a fortress to protect pilgrims during their journey to Mecca, and a few huts surrounding it, as it appears in his lithograph print.