Day 124 Tuesday 4/17/2018 Aqaba, Jordan 7:00 AM - 6:00 PM

  Amazing day yesterday in Petra, Jordan.   Going to Temple of Karnak and Valley of the Kings in Egypt today.  

Aqaba is Jordan’s only coastal city and it is set amid desert hills.  Its central location is between Africa and Asia and provides Jordan’s only access to water.  It has played a role in the region’s trade for thousands of years.  Its prosperity is a result of its position as the sole port of the nation and it offers pristine snorkeling and diving sites.  The city’s history draws travelers as well.

Petra is known as the Rose Red City due to the color of the rocks.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known as one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World. The rock-hewn city of Petra was sculpted into the cliffs and rocky mounds 3,200 years ago by the Nabataean culture.  Today, we saw the facades of tombs.  The Nabateans' homes were destroyed by earthquakes.    

Upon arrival at Petra, we walked downhill to the Siq or narrow walkway through rocks.  Our first sight was The Treasury/Al Khazneh is a beautiful red rock carving of a building front.  This was a tomb.  We turned to the right and walked along to the end of that street passing more tomb fronts, market foundations, amphitheater and temple/s. My souvenir was a sand bottle of The

Treasury.  

The Treasury/Al Khazneh is the first tomb you encounter.  

Djinn Blocks

Siq

Camels in front of the Tomb of 'Unayshu

This iconic facade of the Treasury was carved into a 130-foot cliff was featured in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”.

Detail of the Treasury

The Nabatean Theater

Ruins of Great Temple

Temple of Dushares

Hillside town near Petra.

There were some amazing views along the way.

Yes, another UNESCO World Heritage Site in Petra, Jordan. One of the ancient world’s most astonishing sights. The rock-hewn city of Petra is one of the new Seven Wonders of the World and was sculpted into cliffs and rocky mounds 3,200 years ago at the height of the Nabataean culture. It was once a busy trade center that controlled ancient routes between Arabia and the Mediterranean. We walked the half-mile-long narrow siq, a gorge surrounded by towering rock walls that block out the sun to arrive at the the Khaznah, or Treasury. This iconic facade carved into a 130-foot cliff was featured in the movie “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. We explored the rest of Petra, a vast collection of homes, temples, royal tombs, and an amphitheater, all carved into rose-red rock.