Petra

Petra (Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ; Ancient Greek: Πέτρα) is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan.

It is in a basin among the mountains that run from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba.

Petra is believed to have been settled as early as 9,000 BC. It became the capital city of the Nabataean Kingdom. The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who used Petra because it was near the spice trade routes.

The Nabataean Kingdom became a client state of the Roman Empire in the first century BC. iIn 106 AD they lost their independence. Petra's importance declined as sea trade routes developed. Also, the 363 earthquake destroyed many structures.

The Byzantine Era led to the construction of several Christian churches, but the city continued to decline. By the early Islamic era only a handful of nomads lived in Petra. It stayed unknown to the world until it was rediscovered in 1812 by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.

Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage".

Petra is Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction. Tourist numbers peaked at 1 million in 2010.

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Tips & Hints
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Tobias Friedrich
30 October 2017
Enter via the back entrance (might need a guide) and see the Monastery first, then walk down, while everyone else has to go up and down, you'll just have to go down, saves loads of time and effort.
The White House
26 March 2013
President Obama viewed the area near the Treasury during a tour of the ancient city of Petra in Jordan.
fe_lix .
16 November 2018
Amazing place! Must see. But you will walk a LOT! Treasury is quite easy to reach, but if you want to make it all the way to the monastery you’ll have to earn it :)
Road Unraveled
4 July 2018
Absolutely incredible! Bring lots of water, sunblock, and a good hat for the walk. Can take up to an hour to get to the treasury but it’s worth the hike!
Lina Bell
23 November 2017
Stunning! Besides the Treasury encourage visiting the Monastery and taking a camel ride to the point where you'll have to climb quite a bit of steps if your low on time.
Karla Donjuan
28 November 2022
I would recommend for you to spend the night here. You Will need 6 to 8 h for a nice tour. Get a guide with you, However the quality Of the ones offered at the visitor centre may not be the greatest.
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