Jordan: Petra (Revisited)
One of the seven new wonders of the world – Petra – doesn’t fail to impress. Prime UNESCO World Heritage site and truly the biggest attraction in Jordan, Petra was the capital of the Nabatean civilization, at its prime around 4th century BC to 2nd century AD. Petra requires a full day of exploration. First you hike through the Siq, a narrow slot canyon of red rocks and towering walls rising almost 200m high (quite reminiscent of the American Southwest), and there are some carvings and ancient water channels cut into the walls. The Siq ends into Al-Khazneh aka the Treasury, the most famous structure in Petra and a mausoleum to Nabataean king Aretas IV. Then the valley opens up and the road leads to the Street of Facades – lined up with tomb after tomb. There is a side track here to Jebel al-Madhbah and the Nabatean ceremonial sites, not to mention insane panoramic views. Next is the massive theater and then the Grand Temple and the Monastery aka Al-Deir.
