"Brighter than spiced wine
Sweeter than midnight
More secret than the rose"
- Michael Hornyansky "The Queen of Sheba"

Aqaba- a jeweled city on an ancient caravan route, through which camels laden with luxurious cargoes of incense, gold and gemstones passed as the Queen of Sheba traveled to meet King Solomon. An encounter that sparked a legendary passion. This tantalizing fragrance inspired by the charismatic queen uses ingredients from the traditional art of Arabian perfumery. It opens with a deep, powerful rose blended with warm spices and precious frankincense. It mellows into a beguiling spicy sweetness with amazing lasting power. Thrillingly seductive we think it would have suited the queen perfectly.

Aqaba Fragrance Notes

Eqyptian jasmine, Bulgarian rose, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, damask rose, frankincense, peach, tea leaves, white cedarwood, oak moss

Aqaba Sizes Available:

50ml

$92

0.7ml sample

If you like Aqaba Eau de Parfum, we recommend you try:

White by Comme des Garcons

L'eau by Diptyque

Frankincense - Myrrh - Rose Maroc by Regina Harris

Alessandro by Mazzolari

Felanilla by Pierre Guillaume Paris, Parfumerie Generale

Geisha Noire Eau de Parfum by Aroma M

Here's what other people are saying about Aqaba...

I have a penchant for jasmine and rose notes are always a good companion. This scent is redolent with spices, too. Frankincense, cinnamon and clove are prominent. This is definitely a proper 'floriental'. Strong enough to be entertaining but not too icky. There is a slight gourmand aspect with the peach notes showing through all citrus and spicy, somewhat in the manner of 'Mitsouko'. The price is reasonable and I am looking forward to buying a bottle! I do wish critics would refrain from using terms like "old", "old lady" and similar. If you don't care for it, there is no need to criticize those who do like it. Possibly it has a "classic aspect" that doesn't jive with your modern preference.

By Paula - Lawyer from Omaha on 1/6/2019

I have been searching for a strong, warm, sexy, spicy scent to mark my official entry into old-ladyhood (i.e., age 60+). Aqaba ends the search! So luscious, I can't wait until it permeates my clothing, my closet and my bedroom. Now if I could just find the floral equivalent for summer...

By batsheva - from Somerville, MA on 1/12/2015

This perfume is my home. SO delicious on me. Frankincense and roses with a bit of spice. I have been wearing it for a couple of years and still receive pleased comments on it weekly.

By Deborah - computers from Birmingham on 8/22/2014

I was really looking forward to this one, but... it was cloying and cacophonous--- at first... Something was "off", and it was headache-inducing. I got the image of a bitter old lady standing on her porch and yelling at me to get out of her yard! But then... the day wore on and about 8 hours in, the scent unfolded into sweetness and spicy honey. It took all day, but the ending was lovely!

By Andrea - from Madison, WI on 5/29/2013

I love oriental scents but sometimes struggle with the headiness of a musky base. This is soft and almost like gold on the skin. All the notes are distinguishable and yet they blend so well that you're left with a true 'perfume' effect. I bemoan the demise of Opium by Yves Saint Laurent and Aqaba has replaced it with its smoothness for me. Understated if well dosed.

By Nathalie - Perfume editor and consultant from London on 4/12/2013

Addicting fragrance ,unforgettable, Exotic Spice, powerful .

By Anonymous - Engineer from Biloxi on 12/7/2012

Yuck, buy this if you want to smell like a waxy, cinnamon-scented candle from the the year 1100 AD.

By Twinkley Eyes - from SAN FRANCISCO on 10/1/2012

I'm the one that said "Bleh..." in the comment immediately below. I want to add that I'm a big fan of "womanly" oriental perfumes, heady roses, resinous woods, spices, and all that good stuff, so I was really expecting I would like Aqaba. I think it was the rotten fruit accord (wine?) that disagreed with me. Try before you buy.

By Anonymous on 4/29/2011

Bleh, I hate it. Too sweet and fruity, not the kind of scent I imagine Queen Sheba would have worn. It smells cheap and cloying...a total disappointment.

By Anonymous on 4/29/2011

Can't believe some of the comments here...some females will always be "girls" and some will be "women"....it's a state of mind. This is heady stuff, but subtle-for the "women" type..I don't think it's too sweet or too "oriental". It does go on strong, but mellows within a few minutes to pure bliss. I can't say it smells like any exsisting perfume on the market. The drydown lasts, and is to die for. I'll need to spring for a bottle-my SO, who "prefers" freshly washed, complimented me twice on this, which is a first for him, as did the male employee at the supermarket. So ladies, it does work on men. It's not girly or too floral...just mysterious....you just have to have the right attitude and body chemistry to wear it. No one note stands out, and it's difficult to pin down exactly what it's made of. At least test it....but those that want to smell lighty floral and innocent, pass, This is for a woman who knows she's a woman, and wants to practice her skills...:)

By Anonymous - Kept Womam from Denver on 3/7/2011

Rose, honey, cinnamon and the slightest curl of incense rise above the sleazy, smoky intensity of similar mixes and come together to form sheer olfactory bliss. Warm, subtle, sweet perfection. In a bottle.

By Sarah - Student, 23 on 2/11/2011

Aqaba is sweet, spicy and heady. I can wear gourmand fragrances, but this is not gourmand; it's an overly sweet floral, a type of scent that I absolutely hate. Nauseating and old-styled for me.

By fani - computer programmer from Athens on 7/29/2009

Oh my this is lovely. Definitely not for the unsophisticated, I agree. There is something about it that is reminiscent of Opium, as a previous poster commented, but it's not a smell-alike at all. If you liked the original Opium back in the '80s, you should try this. It won't cudgel you in the head like those '80s fragrances. It will converse where they shouted. I'd love to pull out a sweater from my drawer and have it smell faintly of this scent on a cold winter day. Aqaba is full of warmth and mystery and truly a world away from the fresh Colorado mountain air.

By Teri - Energy Analyst from Denver, CO on 7/20/2009

Sorry forgot to rate this a 1 just not a good perfume.

By Lexie - Lawyer from London on 6/7/2009

This fragrance is just too much! As it being for a so called grown up woman trying to attract men I think not. I've tested light and clean and dark and heavy on men. I can tell you light and clean is always the winner with men 100% of the time. Men don't like perfume that is so strong they can taste it.

By Lexie - Lawyer from London on 6/7/2009

I wasn't sure what to expect from this really, but all the strong reviews both on here and Luckyscent got the better of me and so I ordered a sample. I love it! Fot the first 10 minutes or so it smelled of soap. Really strong overpowering, soap! my husband also said the same thing and he didn't like it. Damn! I thought it was a scrubber. Im so glad I gave it time, drydown revealed a beautiful luminous but still very substantial fruity floral spice melange! Now I can't stop sniffing myself! Sillage is fantastic by the way. I concur with the other reviewers' warnings about applying this with care - I only used two tiny dabs from my sample and the smell is all around me. But having said that I love it - it's just other sensitive people who might find it too much. I can perhaps see why ppl compare this to Opium and Coco in the opening it has that same very strong 'perfumey' thing going on (the soapy stage i hated) but as it develops it has a personality of it's own. (I also own Opium and they don't smell anything alike). For me the peach is the star here, almost like a honeyed peach with a touch of rose and touch of tea, That's my drydown, I dont get the spices, which I normally love but Im not upset because what I do get is beautiful. A very glamorous full on fragrance, yes fit for a queen.

By Melissa - admin from melbourne on 6/1/2009

So yummy. I was leery at first - it smelled so "old lady" on me and I thought I would despise it. However the dry down is wonderfully exotic. Definitely a scent from the Middle East. Its heavy and sweet with a hint of spice and wood. Its a strong, bold scent that calls the room to attention.

By Anonymous - RD from San Diego on 12/1/2008

I own this and love it. spicy and sexy. it's exotic and lasts all day for me. I don't pick out the individual notes but in general it's very oriental and spicy. Especially nice for fall/winter, but I will wear it in in spring/summer too.

By deepo - zoo director from Brooklyn, NY on 11/11/2008

It is a VERY cloying,SWEET,heavy fragrance,very old fashioned,comparable to Shalimar perfume,in my opinion....

By Anonymous - perfume lover from cincinnati on 9/13/2008

Aqaba is rich, exotic, utterly gorgeous. It's glamorous, global, and classic. This is spicy at first, with lots of cinnamon, and mellow clove. The drydown is warm and incensy, and the whole fragrance feels confident and passionate. I'd love to visit the settings the fragrance evokes...someday I will. For now, I wear Aqaba to bring on the dreams. Exquisite.

By Tovah - from Orange County, CA on 6/3/2008

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