PETRA, JORDAN

The ancient city of Petra is about two hours North of Aqaba. 2000 years ago Petra was a refuge for nomadic Nabateans who travelled North from Arabia. From a few caves in a rocky outcrop they created Petra as a concealed fortress city.

To reach the city you will travel through the awesome 'siq', a winding, kilometre long fissure between overhanging cliffs. At the end of the Siq, towering in the brightness appears Petra's most impressive monument El Khazneh,'The Treasury'. This massive royal tomb was carved into the side of the mountain out of the solid rock.

Beyond El Khazneh there is a complete city carved from the rock. Soaring temples, elaborate tombs,a Roman theatre and paved streets are there for you to explore. But Petra, with its multi-hued pink rock, is not only about the Nabateans. There are Roman settlements on the same site and, within 15 minutes drive of Petra, there are 8, 000 year old excavated stone age villages at Beidha and Basta.

This is a famous scene from the movie Indiana Jones and Last Crusade.