Jordan: Petra – The Siiq (Wadi Musa)

Petra or the Rose City is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World, a rock-cut city in the red sandstone canyons of Jordan. Establishes over 300 years BC, the city was the capital of the Nabateans. It’s one of the most famous and visited archaeological sites in the world. To get to the actual city, you first have to navigate your way through what is essentially a slot canyon (like in the American Southwest) through spectacular red sandstone rocks. The narrow are called the Siiq and take the upper portion of Wadi Musa (a dry riverbed). The walls cover the sun and tower hundreds of feet above your head. At times the sides are only half a dozen feet apart. A system of water canals is carved at the bottom of the cliffs. Here and there you see caves and doors or windows carved out of the rock. After an hour or so you get closer to the main attraction of Petra, the Treasury (in the next post).