Petra, Jordan. Before we arrived in Jordan I had no idea what that name was. I’m going to assume you don’t either so I can write a very informative blog. First of all, Petra was a city built over 2,000 years ago. I have seen many, MANY old cities but this one stuck out. I mean how many people can say they’ve seen a city carved out of stone. I can now, but I wouldn’t have believed myself if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes.
Okay, now onto the facts. The city was built in the first century BC in Jordan. All the buildings were carved by hand into sandstone (which is why Petra is also known as the Red City.) Around 363 AD, a massive earthquake stuck Petra. The citizens didn’t have the means to rebuild so it was left abandoned. The cities around Petra knew about it’s existence but kept it a secret. Until 1812, when a swiss explorer disguised himself as a Jordanian and persuaded his guide to let him in to make an offering. Since then, the city has become more and more popularized by visiting tourists.

In it’s most prosperous time about 2000 years ago, Petra was the capital city of this part of the Arab world. Petra was a popular trading city due to it’s location along major trade routes. The people of the city were also known for their efficient water-collecting methods, which you can see evidence of in the ruins today.
There are many well know sites within Petra’s walls. Such as the “Treasury.” It is mostly well know for it’s deceiving name. When the explorers first found the carving they named it the treasury because they thought gold was stored inside. After a second earthquake struck, a column fell and revealed an underground tomb. It is said to be the king’s tomb because the wealthier the person the bigger the tomb. Therefore, the treasury wasn’t actually a treasury but a tomb. Most of the carvings in the city were tombs for all of the citizens, with the occasional temple or shop. There was also a theater, which looks a lot like the Roman theaters we’ve seen in Israel. At its peak, Petra was home to over 200,000 people.

The only way into Petra was by a long walk or by donkey, horse or camel. We decided to walk because even though the donkey handlers say “free ride,” they expect a tip of 5 to 20 american dollars. There are also many vendors that stop at nothing to get you to look at their merchandise. Before the walk, we needed to put on a whole bunch of layers because it was freezing! As we were walking through the canyon, the sun was shining overhead making the sandstone change colors as we walked. It was incredible.
Overall I think my trip to Petra was amazing. I still can’t believe that all the building were carved by hand into stone. I definitely need to go back and see more, you could literally spend 2 days there and not see everything. I also think it is a good workout, we walked about 20,000 steps and my legs are still burning. But I’ve done harder, Inca Trail! It’s no wonder Petra is one of the 7 world wonders.