Petra

The city of the pink rocks of Petra is located in the hewn cliffs of the Jordan desert. It was created by hardworking residents more than 2000 years ago. In the very heart of the desert, the monumental city of Petra has grown, the name of which means "rock" in translation. Being in the mountains, depending on the time of day, the city takes on different colors of light pink, dark red shades. This architectural masterpiece is built at an altitude of 900 meters above sea level in the valley of the Sik River.

You can get to the middle of Petra by crossing a kilometer-long path through a narrow gorge between steep cliffs. The steps carved into the rock reveal the incredible beauty of the ancient settlement.

This architectural monument was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom. Since Petra was located at the intersection of two trade routes, tribute was collected from merchant caravans traveling through the desert. Trade has been the main source of income for hundreds of years, bringing wealth and luxury to the townspeople. The Nabataean kingdom has been the center of a highly developed culture for many centuries.

But the heyday of trade was followed by a decline when the Romans opened trade routes to the east across the sea. Petra gradually became empty, lost in the dunes. The flourishing city became "dead" for several centuries, and the treasure of the East became forgotten for almost three centuries. A godsend for modern civilization was the rediscovery of ancient Petra in the 19th century.

There are many buildings of various shapes and sizes on the territory, consisting of majestic temples, residential buildings, religious buildings, royal tombs and tombs. More than 800 structures have survived to this day. The most important architectural monument is considered to be the Treasury, located right at the exit of the gorge, as if welcoming guests. The height of the structure is more than 40 meters. Its main purpose was to store money. Climbing 800 steps up, you can get to the "Heights" - a sacred place of worship of the gods and sacrifices. The Ed-Deir Monastery is located here. There are also viewing platforms at the top of the cliff, from where you can admire the beauty of Petra's architecture. Peter's incredible beauty at night under the fire of about two thousand candles.

Petra is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

This masterpiece of world art impresses to the depths of the soul with its beauty and mystery, representing great value for admirers of ancient architecture, annually attracting thousands of tourists from all over the world.