Petra
Petra was the Nabataean capital: a city hidden in a sandstone cleft, reached by the Siq. Tombs, a theatre, and a monastery are cut from the rock rather than built on it.
Trade in incense and spices paid for the façades. After the trade routes moved, the city emptied. It returned to maps in the nineteenth century and is now the country’s main ruin.
Comments
The walk through the Siq is the real wonder. The Treasury is only the door.
Go up to the Monastery early. The steps are long and the light is kinder.