Mediterranean Sea 5.33 mya); "see" animation: Africa-Arabia colliding with Eurasia. Accordingly, the Mediterranean basin consists of several stretched tectonic plates in subduction which are the foundation of the Eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. Various zones of subduction harbour and form the deepest and most majestic oceanic ridges, east of the Ionian Sea and south of the Aegean. The Central Indian Ridge runs East of the Mediterranean Sea South-East across the in-between of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula into the Indian Ocean. During Mesozoic and Cenozoic times, as the northwest corner of Africa converged on Iberia, it lifted the Betic-Rif mountain belts
Crusader raids on the Red Sea Kerak in Oultrejordain to the Gulf of Aqaba (an arm of the Red Sea). Raynald seized the port of Ayla and blockaded the nearby island known to the Crusaders as Ile de Graye. Raynald's squadron of ships sailed the length of the Gulf of Aqaba and crossed over to the western shore of the Red Sea raiding Egyptian ports and sea caravans. After sacking the port of Aidhab the expedition crossed back over to the eastern (Arabian) shore and attacked ports along the coast from Rabigh (90 miles north of Jeddah) to al-Haura. In Egypt Al-Adil, brother of the Ayyubid