Petra

Archaeological riches abound in Jordan, from Neolithic ruins to the desert castles of Omayyad Princes. Chief among these national treasures is the soul stirring, rose-red, city of Petra, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Petra is the legacy of the Nabateans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Much of Petra’s appeal comes from its spectacular setting deep inside a narrow desert gorge. From the main entrance, the visitor travels on foot through the awesome SIQ, an immense crack in the sandstone that winds for one kilometer between overhanging cliffs. Petra’s most famous monument, the Treasury, appears dramatically at the end of the Siq and various walks and climbs reveal literally hundreds of buildings, facades, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, and even a 3000 seat theater from the 1st Century AD