Jordan reopens a 4th-century church in Aqaba, among the world’s oldest, highlighting early Christianity and the nation’s legacy of religious coexistence.
Newsroom (21/12/2025 Gaudium Press ) In Aqaba, Jordan’s southern port on the Red Sea, an ancient structure older than Christianity’s legalization has reopened to the public. Archaeologists date the church to around 290 AD—decades before Emperor Constantine’s Edict of Milan in 313 AD granted Christians freedom to worship openly. This makes the Aqaba Archaeological Church one of the oldest purpose-built Christian worship spaces known to history, reflecting the daring faith of early believers practicing under imperial scrutiny.
Discovered in 1998 by an excavation team led by American archaeologist Thomas Parker, the site quickly drew scholarly attention. The remains revealed a basilica-style layout—with a central nave, flanking aisles, and an east-facing apse—indicating not only a developed architectural plan but also an organized, settled Christian community. Artifacts unearthed on-site, including pottery, glass lamps, and Roman coins dated between 293 and 303 AD, helped confirm its origins in the late 3rd or early 4th century. Nearby, archaeologists found a cemetery likely connected to the same congregation, where small bronze fragments were interpreted as parts of an early cross.
Deputizing for His Majesty King Abdullah II, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Imad Hijazin inaugurated the restored church on Monday. In his remarks, he described the event as more than an archaeological milestone: it was a symbol of Jordan’s enduring commitment to religious coexistence and protection of both Islamic and Christian heritage. Hijazin said the restoration strengthens Aqaba’s position as a center of cultural and spiritual tourism, aligning with the kingdom’s broader vision of faith-based harmony.
For Shadi Majali, Chairman of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, the reopening also serves as a reminder of the city’s historical role as a crossroads of faith and commerce. Situated at the ancient junction of land and sea routes connecting Arabia, the Levant, and Egypt, Aqaba—known in antiquity as Aila—was a meeting point for pilgrims, traders, and travelers. Majali described the church as a testament to that cosmopolitan past, where diverse communities shared not just goods, but moral and spiritual ideas that outlived empires.
Religious leaders echoed this theme of continuity and human dignity. Orthodox Patriarch of Jordan Archbishop Christophoros Attallah called the event a “celebration of faith’s endurance,” emphasizing respect for others as the foundation of true belief. Latin Patriarchal Vicar Archbishop Iyad Twal described the Aqaba church as living proof of Jordan’s identity as a cradle of civilizations, a model of cultural coexistence that binds ancient tradition with modern nationhood.
Archaeologically, the church holds extraordinary value because it embeds early Christianity within a bustling Roman port city rather than an isolated monastic landscape. This context offers researchers a rare glimpse into how sacred space evolved in dynamic environments shaped by trade, migration, and diversity. For visitors today, the restored structure stands as both a scholarly treasure and a tangible reminder of nearly seventeen centuries of shared religious heritage—proof that faith, once practiced in secrecy, now invites all to witness its enduring legacy under the Aqaba sun.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from ACI Mena and The Jordan Times
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