By / MOOK Scenic Spots Home Travel Life Network Editorial Team, compiled and reported
Established in the 8th century BC, Petra is an ancient cave-dwelling city located in Jordan. Originally founded by the Nabataeans, Petra was later abandoned due to changes in the overland trade routes and a series of devastating earthquakes, leading to its desertion by the end of the 8th century AD. Throughout its more than 1,500 years of history, several civilizations that brought it prosperity once settled in Petra. As a result, its ruins and architecture reflect the diverse artistic and cultural influences of those periods.
The ancient city of Petra is entered through a canyon. (Image source / Wikipedia)
Al-Khazneh (The Treasury) is one of Petra’s most famous monuments. (Image source / Wikipedia)
Al-Khazneh as seen from inside the canyon. (Image source / Wikipedia)
Forgotten for over a thousand years, Petra regained global attention when Swiss Orientalist Jean Louis Burckhardt stumbled upon the ruins of an ancient city while traveling from Cairo to Damascus.
This vast site reveals that Petra once had large-scale temples. (Image source / Wikipedia)
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Petra has now become a highly popular tourist destination. Each year, around 400,000 visitors come to see what is regarded as the “Treasure of Antiquity.” There, people can admire the unique cave dwellings, rock-carved temples and royal tombs, the stunningly colorful siq canyon, and the museum showcasing ancient artifacts unearthed at the site.
Walking toward the lower city of Petra, you can see where contemporary cave dwellers used to live. (Image source / Wikipedia)
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