Bab al Siq (Petra Entrance)

We arrive in the town of Wadi Musa where we'll be staying for the night. It's also where the gateway to Petra is.

After dropping my bags at the hotel, we head to the Petra visitor centre, where we pick up the tickets. You can also take a horse from here to the entrance, which is included in the ticket price. I decide to walk, it's only a kilometre. Along the route we see the Obelisk Tomb and Bab al-Siq Triclinium. This tomb had five people buried here in the upper part, with the lower part being a banqueting Hall to honour the memory of the deceased each year.

It is not known precisely when Petra was built, 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 downfall of the city which was ultimately abandoned. By the middle of the 7th century Petra appears to have been largely deserted and it was then lost to all except local Bedouin from the area.

In 1812 a Swiss explorer named Johannes Burckhardt set out to 'rediscover' Petra; he dressed up 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.Read more