Ancient Petra

The walk through the winding canyon with towering rock faces either side is much longer than we anticipated but this only adds to the mystery and allure of Petra, the famous city of the Nabataeans established around the 6th century BC and only discovered by the west in 1812 by the Swiss explorer Johan Burckhardt.
Petra was the centre of the caravan trade and an important place on the trade routes of the era. In 106 AD it was absorbed into the Roman Empire. Interestingly in October 1917 T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) led a small force of Syrians and Arabians to defend Petra against a much larger combined German/Turkish force but with the help of Bedouin women living in the vicinity successfully defended the city.
Today it is a much visited and loved archaeological site and should be visited over at least a couple of days to fully appreciate the magnificence of this wonderful treasure of Jordan.