Petra

On Tuesday morning, we headed to Petra. We pulled off at a scenic overlook to take some photos.

Petra was a city of the Nabataeans. The city is famous for its cut-rock architecture. It is called the "Rose City" due to the hue of the rock from which it is carved. Archaeologists believe city dates back to about 300 BC. The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who profited from Petra's proximity to regional trade routes. It later became the site of a Roman city. The site was unknown to the western world until 1812. Bedouins still live there today.

This is the Siq- the very narrow entrance into Petra which made it easy to defend.

First glimpse of The Treasury- an ancient temple.

It seems no work of Man's creative hand, 

by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned;

But from the rock as if by magic grown, 

eternal, beautiful, silent, alone!

Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine, 

where erst Athena held her rites divine;

Not saintly-grey, like many a monster fane,

that crowns the hill and consecrated the plain;

But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,

that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;

The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,

which Man deemed old two thousand years ago,

match me such marvel save in Easter clime, 

a rose-red city half as old as time.

-John William Burgon

A Bedouin soldier

We watched a local sand artist.

Part of the Roman ruins