Petra, Jordan

To understand Petra you need to understand Jordan. Jordan has played an important role in the ancient world due to its strategic location at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, and Europe. It sat along major trade routes like the King’s Highway, connecting Arabia with Syria and the Mediterranean, which made it a hub for commerce and cultural exchange. 

Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Kingdom over 2,000 years ago, and a major trading hub. At its peak in the 1st century AD, the ancient city of Petra was home to an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people. Our hotel sits just outside the entrance to the ancient city and gave us easy access.  

It’s a long and somewhat dusty treck until we hit aspects of the ancient ruins.  What makes this area so fascinating is how advanced they were. They carved temples, tombs, and even entire streets into the cliffs, and engineered an impressive water system that allowed them to thrive in the desert, which also included times of flash floods and earthquakes.

Walking through the narrow Siq canyon for the first time and catching that first glimpse of the Treasury is one of those moments that will always be remembered.   The way the rock walls suddenly open up to reveal that massive, detailed façade carved straight into the sandstone is incredible. The name “ Treasury” is a bit misleading, because it's not related to money….but it's believed to be the tomb of one of the Nabataean kings. 

With our expert guide, we ended our nearly 3 hour, 2 mile walk shortly after the Treasury, and elect to head back to the hotel. Others in the group continued onto the Monestsry. Kudos to them.Read more