Where to go
Jordan
Things to do in Petra
Half-built and half-carved into the rock, the Jordanian ancient city of Petra has been one of the largest and most interesting archeologial sites in the world since its "rediscovery" in 1812 by a Swiss explorer Johann Burckhardt. However this is not known for certain when the city was built, it is known that it was the capital of the wealthy Nabataean Empire and one of the most important trading cities in the Middle East.Due to the wonderful color of the stone out of which many of the city structures are carved, Petra has a poetical name of a "rose-red city". Among the precious historic structures which make Petra one of the world's top touristic destination are temples and churches, tombs, baths, funerary halls, arched gateways and a unique ancient water supply system.