The ancient city of Petra is Jordan’s most celebrated destination. Situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, the city was once an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia.
The thing you will notice right away, is that Petra is half-built, half-carved into the rock of the mountain. It was built this way so that it could be defended if enemies decided to attack. The city is only reachable by the narrowest of ravines, which allowed Petra to be able to defend itself and prevent the enemy from having an all out assault.
Petra is not only a Unesco World Heritage site, but also one of the world’s most famous archaeological sites. The buildings are carved into the red sandstone of the area, and you will find tombs and temples, monuments, dams and public buildings. Inside you will also find an elaborate series of tunnels leading from one structure to the next, but most of them are off limits to visitors. The architecture itself is a fusion of Hellenistic and traditional Nabataean, that range from prehistoric times to medieval periods. The most famous and photographed of the structures is a tomb called the Treasury, which was used in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. There are many others though, begging for your camera to capture them for your memories of your visit.
Only approximately one-quarter of Petra is uncovered, and in many places the street level is higher than the second level floor of the structures. New buildings are being discovered all the time too, with efforts being made to preserve them.
The main appeal about visiting a historic site such as Petra is the mystery behind them. While we know a lot about the people who lived there, we don’t know everything, and there is a lot yet to learn. There is also a lot of information that we could have wrong, and will have to correct in the future.
Cana Creative Travel and Tours can help you easily combine a visit to Petra with a trip to the Holy Land. Contact us today at 416-249-0972 or fg@canacreativetravel.com to find out more.