Jordan: Petra the Rose

Jordan, June 2011

Have you watched Transformer: Revenge of the Fallen or Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade ? Then you might recognise this place because both were filmed in Petra the Rose - Red city.
It's a historical and archaeological city in Jordan that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduit system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans.
The impressive eastern entrance leads steeply down through a dark, narrow gorge (in places only 3–4 m (9.8–13 ft) wide) called the Siq ("the shaft"), a natural geological feature formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks and serving as a waterway flowing into Wadi Musa. At the end of the narrow gorge stands Petra's most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh (popularly known as "the Treasury").

Being there felt magical and the view is magnificent. I wouldn't be surprised if Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. I couldn't find the right words to describe how beautiful it is. And my pictures below just don't do it justice either.