Petra has been nicknamed the legendary ‘Red Rose City’ because this unique city has been carved into the rock face of pink sandstone cliffs and goes as far back as 300 B.C. This Ancient City is located 240km south of Amman and 120km north of the red sea town of Aqapa.
It was built by the Nabateans Arabs settlers more than 2000 years ago and became a flourishing trading centre for silk, spice, the ‘original silk road’ that linked China, India and southern Arab, Syria, Greece and Rome.
Petra remained virtually hidden from the world for hundreds of years until a Swiss explorer called Johannes Burckhardt rediscovered it in the 19th Century. Dressing as an Arab and speaking in their dialect, he persuaded his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city.
The “Lost City” can only be accessed through the Siq, a narrow gorge that extends over 1km in length and bordered on either side by 80 km high cliffs- making walking through the Siq, an event to remember.In 1985, Petra has been labelled as a UNESCO heritage site. It is Jordan’s most prized treasure and famous tourist attraction. The Bedouins who still regard the Ancient City as their home and the people of neighbouring Wadi Musa welcome visitors from all over the world.
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