Petra

Petra was amazing. Petra boasts ruins of an entire city that 30,000 people are believed to have inhabited. When Petra was constructed is up to debate, although the 6th century BC seems to be the most consistent claim. The city was home to residences, a theater, temples, 500 tombs, a church, markets, a monastery and more with the majority of the structures being carved out of the rock face by The Nabataeans – Arabs who dominated the region in pre-Roman times. Many of these structures remain in excellent condition today making Petra a magical place to visit.

The most impressive site in Petra is the Treasury. The Treasury was carved out of the sandstone to serve as a tomb for a Nabataean King, but it got its name from the story that an Egyptian Pharaoh had stashed his treasure there. The approximately 141 ft high Treasury is a truly a spectacular site.

The city is in remarkable condition considering it has withstood several earthquakes, has been invaded by the Romans and the Crusaders and gets trampled on daily by eager tourists.

All in all, Petra was very impressive, especially considering only 5% of it has been excavated! We really enjoyed hiking and wandering around this ancient city and I am excited to watch ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ to see how what I’ve seen has been pictured on the big screen!