Petra Tourist Attractions

Petra, situated behind rugged mountains towards the south of Jordan

, remained hidden from the rest of the world for many years. It was Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer, who rediscovered the ancient city in 1812. The discovery was made possible by the years he took to study Arabic, when he identified himself as a Muslim from India.

As he was traveling to Cairo, he heard people speaking about an ancient city that was hidden among the formidable mountains. In order to be allowed to venture into the area, Burckhardt pretended that he wanted to visit Prophet Aaron's tomb and make a sacrifice. Although he could not let his excitement show, Burckhardt recorded what he saw, eventually publishing it in 1822. It was then that people started visiting this city of great walls.

Petra is the best known site in the whole of Jordan. It is approximately 262 km to the south of the capital of Jordan, Amman. It was the city of an industrious Arab community known as the Nabataeans, who settled there over 2,000 years ago. Its impressive architecture has earned it a place as one of the World Heritage Sites and the New Seven Wonders of the World.

As you approach the city, through a chasm that is about one kilometer long, the sun will almost be completely blocked by the long narrow gorge that has steep sides (which also blocks the city from view). At the end of the gorge, you will suddenly find yourself staring at the most famous monument in Petra, The Treasury (El-Khazneh), which is situated in a natural square. You can see the sun glowing from its intricately carved facade. The monument is more than forty meters high. This marks the beginning of a string of monuments that you will find here for several kilometers.

Other places of interest include the following:

The Palace Tomb

This is among the biggest monuments in the city. It is a three-storey structure that resembles the early Roman palace.

Obelisk Tomb

Five separate graves were discovered inside this 7 meter tomb.

The Corinthian Tomb

The tomb replicates the Golden Palace of Emperor Nero.

The Petra Church

This is a fifth century cathedral.

Museums

You can visit Petra Archeological Museum where many of the treasures found in the city are kept.

There are more than 800 individual monuments in the city. Among them are tombs, funerary halls, colonnaded streets, arched gateways, baths and temples.

Apart from the carved out buildings, Petra also has a unique form of art, known as sand art. This is like painting with the sand, where you do not need any brushes! It involves the arrangement of fine sand of different shades within transparent materials, such as a glass bottle, to create special drawings. Many of the sand art works portray the desert life.

It is best to visit Petra either early in the morning or late afternoon to be able to see the special charm that the sun adds to the great walls.

by: Archie Blazer

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