The Ancient City of Petra in Jordan - One of the New 7 Wonders of the World

 A visit to the Ancient City of Petra in Jordan

Our visit to Petra

The Siq

The Treasury

Petra

Bedouins offered us their wares and one woman furtively proffered an authentic Caesarean coin, which we declined on the premise that it was illegal.

We saw a modern car parked in an ancient cave which was quite a contradictory sight.

Old vs New

A cheeky camel snorted at my 4-year old son and startled him, ensuring that he stayed close to us thereafter.

Camels

We spotted prayer mats laid out in a cave through a crevice. It offered some respite from the blazing heat.

Prayer cave

It was not difficult for my husband and I to make the decision to walk up the 823 steps to Ad-Deir ”The Monastery”. Our kids were too young and would not have managed the arduous ascent so we left them at the bottom with Grandma.

Sugary soft drinks in a Bedouin tent high up in the mountains refreshed us en route and I bought a traditional beaded necklace from a stall there.

At the top, the spectacular views of The Monastery made the climb worth it and the views of Petra in the diffused afternoon light were dazzling. We admired them for a while, then walked back down the steps again.

The Monastery

After a day under the blazing hot sun in one of the oldest cities in the world, we had sore legs that would take a week to recover but memories that would last a lifetime.

Once back home, I read a book called "Married to a Bedouin" about a New Zealand born nurse who visited Petra with her friend in 1978, met a bedouin from there, married him and lived there. It was a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the people of Petra .

More interesting facts about Petra

• Petra was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 and declared one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007
• Several Hollywood films had scenes shot in Petra, including Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade , The Mummy Returns and Aladdin(2019). Petra has also been featured in TV programmes, video games and music videos.

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Sara Essop

Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.