Petra: Antique World & Multicolored Rocks
| Price: | from 305$ for adults and children aged 12 and older |
from 300$ for children aged 2 to 11 inclusive |
Do you know that you can add variety to your holiday in Egypt by visiting the neighboring country, Jordan? However, a journey there can hardly be called just a trip, since it’s an exciting time travel to the antique world and a great opportunity to see unique patterned and multicolored rock formations in different areas of Petra.
Petra was the ancient capital of Idumea and the Nabataean Kingdom and was situated at the crossroads of antique trade routes. Today, it’s a place that every year attracts millions of tourists who want to see stunning historic and natural sites with their own eyes.
Petra is located in Jordan, so to get to this marvelous city, tourists who spend their holidays in Egypt, have to cross the border. Usually, it does not take much time, the Jordanian Border Control Department works smoothly and quickly.
Travelers go to Jordan from Taba by double-deck ferry and, while having tea or coffee, reach Tala Bay Marina, a yacht port, which is located about 10 kilometers away from the Jordanian city of Aqaba. Then tourists take seats in a bus and head to Petra, a historic city which was controlled by the Nabataeans, Idumeans, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs and crusaders at various times.
In fact, Petra is a huge rock-cut tomb. There are the graves of the Nabataeans, mysterious dolmens, and a striking architectural masterpiece, the famous Al-Khazneh. It is one of the most elaborate temples in Petra, carved out of a sandstone rock face. This place is widely known as the «Treasury of the Pharaoh», and scientists are still wondering whether the gold of the ancient Egyptians is really hidden there.
It’s also worth visiting a massive ancient Roman theater, carved into the hillside. Photos taken in front of this magnificent place are just perfect, the main thing is not to forget to take a camera out, being overwhelmed by seeing jaw-dropping sites.
The next attraction in Petra is a natural one, the Siq Canyon. It’s a natural geological fault split apart by tectonic forces and worn smooth by waters that had been breaking through the rocks for thousands of years during the periods of rains.
The walls that enclose the Siq Canyon stand between 91–182 meters in height and their colors vary from honey yellow to pink. The diversity of geological materials of the region is vividly illustrated there. You can also admire rock art of ancient artists, for example, the image of a camel caravan with riders.
Other attractions here are a complex water supply system invented by the Nabataeans, a perfectly preserved royal road, paved in the times of the Roman emperor Trajan who once conquered Petra. The first visible site upon reaching the end of the Siq Canyon is the panoramic view of the Al-Khazneh which was shown in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
To return to Egypt, tourists have to cross the border again. But before they get settled on a ferry, travelers go to a restaurant where buffet-style lunch is served for them. After lunch tourists go to Taba by ferry and then to Sharm El Sheikh by bus. There’s a rest stop on the route to have tea or coffee.
