

Your first peek of Petra (and first view of the Al Khazneh) comes while you are nearing the end of the Siq. This gorge is flanked by tall cliffs of about 80 km, and is called Siq. You have to walk through a narrow gorge of more than 1 km. Many of its carvings though are lost due to pollution, weathering, and robberies. The buildings that were carved into the cliffs were naturally saved and are still standing. The city also experienced a number of earthquakes that led to the destruction of many of the buildings and its evacuation in the 6th century AD. Petra saw its decline from the 3rd century AD onwards, which happened due to several factors, beginning with the change in the trade route from land to sea. Petra is believed to have been one of the most affluent cities during the 1st centuries BC to AD, with a population of almost 30,000 people. A number of buildings and monuments were built. With high economy came valuable treasures and antiquities. The Silk Route traders used this city for resting and trading various items. Nabataeans made good use of this fact and used a unique hydraulic system to preserve water, thus creating an artificial oasis. The red-tinged mountains surrounding Petra on its three sides make it look like a fortress. Petra is alternatively known as the Rose Red City, owing to its buildings that are carved into rose-red colored sandstone hills. Today, it’s mesmerizing grandeur has made it a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1985), and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World (2007).

Since, its introduction to the west, Petra has become Jordan’s top tourist attraction. Petra for almost five centuries was hidden to the outside world, until its rediscovery by a Swiss explorer named Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812. The valley in those days fell on the famous trade route linking Egypt, Rome, Syria, and Greece with China, Arabia, and India, better known in history as the Silk Route.

It was built by the resident ancient Arab tribe named Nabataeans, who were initially nomadic but industrious. Featuring several rock-cut buildings and structures, this city from the bygone era is located on the slope of the biblical Mount Hor in Jordan. The spectacular archaeological ruins in the Middle East, Petra (Jordan) represents an ancient Arab culture and architecture that flourished more than 2,000 years ago.
