Explore the Ancient City of Petra

I'm sure we all know and recognize Petra or the "treasury" from the Indiana Jones movie, but did you know its not a stage but an ancient city you can explore and enjoy. This ancient city was built over 2,000 years ago and wasn't found by western man until 1812. The city was built by a nomadic Arab tribe known as the Nabataeans for trade in the desolate desert. Its nickname is the rose city for the color of the rock in which the city is cut from.

Park in the Petra Visitor Center Parking Lot and head west into the "Siq" which is a beautiful but narrow canyon that winds its way into the depths of this ancient city and towards the main attraction. The beautiful Siq canyon is worth the trip by itself. The amazing colors in this 1/2 mile long gorge with 250 meter high cliffs are stunning.

At the end of the gorge is the most iconic building in the city of Petra. Al-Khazneh or the "treasury" is best know for its appearance in the famous Indiana Jones film, but it is much more impressive in person. The beautiful building carved out of the rock face stands tall at over 90 feet and 120 feet wide. One of the largest structures, this building served as a tomb to an ancient king.

Unfortunately the treasury doesn't have an elaborate internal structure that holds the holy grail as we all thought from Indiana Jones. The building is actually very shallow with only a few rooms inside. You cant actually enter the structure, but there are plenty of other structures you can enter and get a full appreciation for the sandstone colors. From floor to ceiling, reds, orange, browns, and light pinks flow and twist together in a stunning display of color. It looks like water flowing across the wall.

As Jordan's main tourist attraction, don't be surprised by large crowds, especially at the treasury. The city is much larger than just the treasury, and it would take days to explore the entire city. It is perfect for just a short day trip or as a multi day trip if you want to find the more secluded attractions. Other great attractions are the Monastery and Byzantine church to check out the beautiful mosaic.(pictured)

Near the start of the Siq canyon, camel and donkey rides for handicap or elderly individuals are offered. It is roughly 70  dollars for a one day ticket. If you get a two or three day ticket and stay in a local hotel, the price greatly decreases. The visitor center offers a history museum, restrooms and cafes. Have a couple Jordanian Dinar for the bathrooms. Although the entry fee is pretty expensive, I still think its worth it.

From Amman it takes about three hours to drive south to Petra. Many hotels also offer bus transport that take about 4 hours. I recommend getting to Petra as early as possible, in order to beat the large crowds. The ancient city opens at 6am and during days with night events, it can close as late as 1030pm. The weather is the same as any desert. Very hot during the day with chilly nights in summer. Warm days and very cold nights during winter. The walking distance have listed, is only from the visitor center to the Treasury Building. You could walk for miles and miles depending on how much of the city you explore.