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petra
jordan tours - route map
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 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 Nabateans, 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. The approach
through a kilometer long, cool, and gloom chasm (or Siq) a long narrow gorge
whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic
contrast with the magic to come.
Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, The Treasury (El-Khazneh), who's intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling sun. More facades beckon the visitor on until the ancient city gradually unfolds, one monument leading to the next for kilometer after kilometer. The sheer size of the city and the quality of beautifully carved facades is staggering and leads one to reflect on the creativity and industry of the Nabataeans who made Petra their capital. Petra is always breathtaking, and never to be forgotten. It flourished for over 400 years around the time of Rome and Christ (pbuh), until it was occupied by the Roman legions of the Emperor Trajan in 106 AD.