The Attack on Aqaba

“In May 1962, an isolated beach on the barren southeastern coast of Spain suddenly bustled with activity. Hundreds of local farm hands had been hired to construct a replica of the Red Sea port of Aqaba, circa 1917. It took them three months to build over 300 false front buildings. They planted palm trees, placed four full-size cannons on the hills above, and shipped 450 horses and 150 camels over from Morocco. Soon after, Peter O’Toole as Lawrence of Arabia would lead an army down from the hills to overtake the mock town.”

From the essay accompanying the photographs. This image shows the beach near where the attack on Aqaba was filmed. Nothing remains now of the set.

Once Upon a Time in Almería: The Legacy of Hollywood in Spain’ (Daylight Books 2017)