Jordan Unveils Underwater Military Museum Full of Tanks Aiming to Boost Tourism And the Sight is Pretty Cool! (Pics & Video)

Jordan has unveiled its first underwater military museum off the coast of Aqaba in the Red Sea. 19 antique pieces, provided by the country's armed forces, have been submerged at depths of up to 28 meters at the Underwater Military Museum Dive Site. It includes tanks of different sizes, an ambulance, a military crane, a personnel carrier and anti-aircraft guns and helicopters. They sank all of this next to a coral reef to give visitors a 'new type' of the museum. The museum, the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) explained, will combine 'sports, environment and exhibits' for divers, snorkelers and visitors on glass-bottomed boats. From the British Museum to Vatican City, Here Are the Must-Visit Museums in the World!

Jordan is hoping that the 19 decommissioned pieces of military hardware will attract tourists to the diving resort of Aqaba. The development is the government's effort to boost economic activity in the region and the overall Jordanian economy.  ASEZA said in a statement said that the sunken items have been "stationed along the coral reefs imitating a battle tactical formation". Philadelphia Tourist Attractions: Here Are 11 Museums in Philadelphia You Must Visit.

Check Out Pictures of Jordan's Underwater Military Museum:

Watch the Video Here:

Cindy Zipf, Executive director of Clean Ocean Action, a New Jersey-based environmental coalition, told The New York Times, "Artificial reefs do have important value. They just have to be the right materials that are suitable for that habitat."  Zipf added, "What you are trying to mimic when you are creating an artificial reef is the natural habitat. I think the emphasis should be on habitat and the protection of the marine life, rather than the repurposing of the material as a museum." World's First Underwater Hotel cum Resort Will Open in Maldives by End of This Year.

Watch the Underwater Museum Here:

The Jordanian Museum and the Long Island sire are not the only ones to drown military tanks. According to CNN, Bahrain has an underwater museum for which they sank a Boeing 747 airplane off the artificial island of Diyar Al Muharraq. Similarly, Turkey has sunken an Airbus jet near the northwestern coast along the Gallipoli Peninsula. New York has also completed a rather similar project with reef systems off the coast of Long Island. They had sunk parts of the old Tappan Zee Bridge to help the reef regrow.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 28, 2019 02:45 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).