What makes Petra an amazing site to visit?

          Petra was an ancient city in the Arab Kingdom located in what is now the southwestern part of Jordan. It is noted for its historical remains as well as architecture.

          The Nabataeans, who inhabited the land for long called the town ‘Raqmu’. Today, Petra is known by one more name, as the Rose City, due to the colour of the stone out of which it was carved. Historical evidence suggests that many of the buildings in the town were carved directly into rocky sandstone cliffs. In fact, the very name of the town comes from the Greek word meaning ‘rock’.

           It is believed that Petra was established sometime in 312 BC as the capital city of the Arab Nabataeans. After the Nabataeans were defeated in civil wars, the region witnessed Roman, and later, Islamic rulers.     However, over the centuries, Petra became unknown to the world, mainly because of the earthquakes that damaged the city.

          It remained unseen until the Swiss traveller Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered it in 1812. Today, the city is the symbol of Jordan that receives thousands of visitors each year.