Lost Ancient City of Petra

Petra is located in southwestern Jordan about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the Dead Sea, surrounded by towering hills of rust-colored sandstone which gave the city some natural protection against invaders.

Enclosed by towering rocks and watered by a perennial stream, Petra not only possessed the advantages of a fortress but controlled the main commercial routes, turning it into an important center of trade for silk, spice and other routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

Although the city may have been accessed from the south in ancient times, the only entrance to the city is through a 2 kilometer dry water course called the Siq — a dark, narrow gorge of dazzling rock formations and colors only 10 to 13 feet (3 to 4 meters) wide in areas — flanked on either side by soaring cliffs over 300 feet (100 meters) high. LINK



LINK: Youtube