Petra

Ever since I saw Indiana Jones walk through the door to the Treasury in the Last Crusade, I knew that I wanted to see Petra with my own eyes. 

Getting to Petra is half the fun.  The 2,200 year old Nabataean city lies at the end of a mile-long canyon called the Siq.  The canyon is over 200 feet deep and in some places it squeezes to only about 10 feet wide.  It would be hard to imagine a more dramatic entryway.

The Siq

We had already walked through the Siq at night, but the daytime walk was equally impressive.  As we neared the end of the Siq, the sunlit façade of the Treasury peeked into view.

The first view of the Treasury from inside the Siq

The Treasury was carved right into the side of the sandstone canyon wall and has withstood the test of time.  Some details look like they were carved yesterday.

A view of the Treasury from the side - you can see how deeply it was carved into the rock

Detail on one of the columns of the Treasury

Equally impressive as the Treasury, but much harder to reach, is the Monastery.  A climb up 800 steps in some intense heat brought us to another incredible carved façade.

On an overlook with the Monastery behind us

What surprised me the most about Petra is how extensive it is.  It is so much more than just the Siq and the famed Treasury.  The whole city took us two days to explore, and we still didn’t see it all.  It certainly has a well-deserved place on some lists of Wonders of the World!

A camel hanging out under the Palace Tombs

-David