What to see in Petra area?
Petra
Petra is a famous archaeological site located in the desert of southwestern Jordan. The Nabataean capital dating from around 300 BC, accessible only through a narrow canyon called Al Siq, was an important trade transit city linking the silk, spice and other commodity routes, connecting China , India and Arabia, with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome. It is nicknamed the "Pink City" because it sits in a valley with tombs, temples and monuments carved into the surrounding pink sandstone cliffs. The most famous construction is probably Al Khazneh (also known as The Treasury), a 45-meter-high temple with an ornate Greek-style façade.A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is the national icon of Jordan and one of the 7 wonders of the modern world.
Little Petra
Also known as Siq al-Barid, it is an archaeological site located 15 km north of Petra with which it has been related.Like Petra, it is a Nabataean place, with carved buildings on sandstone canyon walls. As its name suggests, it is much smaller, consisting of three wider open areas connected by a 450 meter canyon. It is part of the Petra Archaeological Park, although accessed separately, and is included in Petra's inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The purposes of some buildings are unclear. , archaeologists believe that the entire complex was a suburb of Petra, the capital of the Nabataeans, intended to house trade on the Silk Road. After the decline of the Nabataeans, the place remained empty for centuries, used only by Bedouin nomads.
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