Petra: The Rose-Red City and 7th Wonder of the World
UNESCO World Heritage Site
In 1992 we moved to Amman, Jordan. Shortly after arriving, friends loaded us into their car and drove us to Petra. We had no idea what a spectacular visit it would be.
Petra, called the Rose-Red City, is carved out of beautiful sandstone cliffs. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. It is now considered to be one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. UNESCO has described Petra as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage”. Archeological digs indicate that the area has been inhabited since 7000 BC. The Nabateans, a nomadic Arabic group, arrived in about the 4th century BC. and had made Petra their capital.
Although surrounded by arid regions, Petra had a perpetual water source so people could live there and could attract and conduct business with the traders traveling through with their camel caravans. Trading became the source of the Nabatean wealth.
Petra was a crossroads between Arabia, Egypt, and Syria-Phoenicia. It was an important stop on the Incense Route which included the trade of frankincense and myrrh. The Incense Route flourished from the Arabian peninsula to the Mediterranean Sea, putting Petra in an excellent location on the route. It was also a southern connection to the Silk…
