The sandstone city of Petra is something you won’t find anywhere else in the world. It is a complete city mostly carved to the sandstone aproximately 300BC. Petra was built by the Nabataeans, who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms and stables from the sandstone cliffs.

Situated between the Red Sea and the Dead Sea, it was an important crossroads between Arabia, Egypt and Syria-Phoenicia. From here, the Nabataeans commanded the trade routes from Damascus to Arabia, and great spice, silk and slave caravans passed through, paying taxes and protection money. Archaeologists believe that several earthquakes, including a massive one in AD 555, forced the inhabitants to abandon the city.

Petra is surrounded by mountains riddled with passages and gorges. The entrance to Petra is the legendary 1,2 km long Siq, a rock landmass that has been rent apart by tectonic forces. Perhaps the most impressive sight in Petra is the Treasury (Al-Khazneh). Treasury is a tomb that gets its name from the misguided belief that an Egyptian pharaoh hid his treasure in the top urn. The Greek-style pillars, alcoves and plinths are truly masterpieces of masonry work.

Petra remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, when it was found by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. It is a world heritage site that UNESCO has described as private://one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritageprivate://.