History
The city of Petra, the capital of the Nabataeans, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Located 240 km south of the capital, Amman, and 120 km north of the Red Sea town of Aqaba, Petra, the world wonder, is undoubtedly Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is visited by tourists from all over the world.
The exact date of Petra’s construction is unknown, but the city began to prosper as the capital of the Nabataean Empire from the 1st century BC, which grew rich through trade in frankincense, myrrh, and spices.
Petra was later annexed to the Roman Empire and continued to thrive until a large earthquake in 363 AD destroyed much of the city in the 4th century AD. The earthquake, combined with changes in trade routes, eventually led to the city’s downfall, and it was ultimately abandoned.
The Rediscovery of Petra
In 1812, a Swiss explorer named Johannes Burckhardt set out to ‘rediscover’ Petra; he dressed as an Arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city. After this, Petra became increasingly known in the West as a fascinating and beautiful ancient city, and it began attracting visitors and continues to do so today.
Petra is also known as the rose-red city, a name it gets from the wonderful color of the rock from which many of the city’s structures were carved.
Al-Siq to Treasury Trail (Main Trail)
This trail is the most visited trail in Petra, the trail starts from the visitor center of Petra through The Siq to The Treasury. While most tourists think that the trail ends at the ancient city’s main attraction, The Treasury, the main trail continues past the Siq, Royal Tombs, Colonnaded Street and ends by Qasr Al-Bint (The Girl’s Palace).
Duration: This depends on the pace of the tourist but can take up to an hour from the visitors’ center to the Treasury.
