Take a Walk with Me through Petra, Wadi Musa, Jordan

Have you ever had one of those travel experiences that was so magical it was almost spiritual? That is how I felt when I discovered Petra. I honestly did not know much about it before going and perhaps that made the entire experience all the better. I simply fell in love with the beauty, mystique and sheer size of Petra. It is absolutely extraordinary and like no place on earth. Built over 2,000 years ago by the Nabateans as a place for camel caravans to rest and trade, the stunning “Rose City” was once one of the grandest ancient trading centers in the Middle East connecting ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. Its massive size and number of intricate hand-carved buildings, tombs, and temples literally blow you away.

The Nabateans were Arab Nomads who thrived from 312 BC to 106 AD. They became wealthy from the prosperous incense trade, using their aptitude for complex engineering and architecture to build one of the region’s most successful ancient civilizations, the Nabatean Kingdom and their capital city, Petra. At its prime, Petra housed over 30,000 people throughout its massive complex of caves, temples, and tombs. Scholars believe that their name, Nabateans, comes from the Arabic word “nabat” which means to extract water from the earth. The Nabateans channeled water to Petra from nearby springs using sophisticated pipes, hand-cut channels and large, underground water containers called cisterns to keep a constant flow of water inside Petra. As you enter the Siq, you can see the irrigation channel carved into the rock, leading into the depths of the city. It is incredibly impressive. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).