Travel Eye on Petra (Jordan, Asia)

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Overview:

Petra is the treasure of ancient world, hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, boasting incomparable scenes that make it the most majestic and imposing ancient site still-standing nowadays.. It has been said " perhaps there is nothing in the world that resembles it ", actually, for sure, there is nothing in the world that resembles it . The rock-carved rose-red city of Petra is full of mysterious charm , it was "designed to strike wonder into all who entered it".

Petra is a place where breath-taking architecture is carved into rose-colored sandstone cliffs. Accessible only through a narrow gorge, Petra was one of the most easy to defend cities of the ancient world. Its leaders became rich through trade, good water management and by exacting tolls from caravans. Petra's glory days were in the century before Christ's birth. When Rome annexed it in the second century, Petra had about 30,000 residents.

Petra's temples, tombs, theaters and other buildings are scattered over 400 square miles. It is not uncommon for people to spend a week to 10 days exploring the area. But if you just have a day - which is what most visitors tend to allocate - you can still have an unforgettable experience.

Following Petra's decline a few centuries after Christ's birth, most of its buildings were buried by sand which sheltered the carvings over the centuries. Petra was rediscovered in 1812. Now, without the protection of the sand and because of the growing number of tourists, there are concerns about how to best preserve the area for future generations.

Locality:

Petra is considered the most famous and gorgeous site in Jordan located about 262 km south of Amman and 133 km north of Aqaba . It is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO world heritage site that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

To enter the ancient city, you need to walk about a mile between towering sandstone cliffs. If you prefer not to walk, you can ride a horse or take a two-passenger horse-drawin chariot. A petra tour guided experience will take you through the entrance and into the city with explanations as to the many channels and carvings into the side of the cliffs that can be seen. Modern engineers say the Nabataens were "absolute geniuses" at controlling rainwater to prevent flooding and to avoid shortages in times of drought.

"The Treasury," the first facade you see as you enter Petra, is world famous because of the Indiana Jones "The Last Crusade" movie. Carved into the cliff, "The Treasury" is so-named because at the top of the enormous structure is a carved, stone object that looks like an urn. According to legend, the urn contains treasure. Chips on the inaccessible urn are the results of unsuccessful attempts to break it with bullets and stones.

"The Treasury" and many of the other buildings in Petra are tombs. One of Petra's mysteries is that no bodies have ever been found there.

Some of the tombs have colorful interiors. Splashes and swirls of magenta, midnight blue and ocher create pictures on the walls and ceilings that rival paintings in the finest museums. But the "masterpieces" are solely due to the natural colors of the sandstone.

Wandering around Petra are Bedouin children and adults, trying to sell everything from postcards to polished stones to camel rides. Bedouin families used to live in Petra's caves, but in 1984 the government moved them out into more modern housing. Now Bedouins only come to hawk their wares.