Why is Petra so special?

The Outstanding Universal Value of Petra resides in the vast extent of elaborate tomb and temple architecture; religious high places; the remnant channels, tunnels and diversion dams that combined with a vast network of cisterns and reservoirs which controlled and conserved seasonal rains, and the extensive ...



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Here's a list of 22 facts you might not know about this beautiful historical city in southern Jordan.
  • Petra is popularly called The Lost City. ...
  • Petra is also known as the Rose City. ...
  • Petra is one of the oldest cities in the world. ...
  • Petra means rocks. ...
  • UNESCO World Heritage Site. ...
  • Petra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.


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According to Arab tradition, Petra is the spot where Musa (Moses) struck a rock with his staff and water came forth, and where Moses' brother, Harun (Aaron), is buried, at Mount Hor, known today as Jabal Haroun or Mount Aaron.

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It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. UNESCO has described Petra as one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage. In 2007, Petra was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Petra is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction.

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The seventh and final site was the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, unknown to much of the world before 1989. That year, the city's carved rose-red sandstone facades were featured in the blockbuster film Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade. In the film, Petra stood in for where Indiana Jones finds the Holy Grail.

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Can you go inside Petra. Petra as described earlier is a city, of course you can get inside archaeological lost city (You will pay 70$ for a ticket to get inside ). But if you mean to get inside ?Al khazneh? the Treasury of Petra, then; unfortunately, you can't!

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Petra is sometimes called the 'Lost City'. In spite of its being such an important city in antiquity, after the 14th century AD, Petra was completely lost to the western world.

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Some main archeological sites inside the city are the Treasury – the tomb of a Nabatean king, the Monastery – an isolated mountain temple, a theatre, government buildings and dwelling for regular people.

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There isn't a strict Petra dress code as such. It's the biggest tourist attraction in Jordan, so people pretty much wear what they like when they visit Petra, However, bear in mind that the site of Petra is huge, so be prepared to do a lot of walking.

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Petra is well-equipped with toilets, with toilet blocks at the visitor's centre, near the Theatre and museum. There are also portaloos at the start of the Siq and at a couple of cafés.

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Several bullet holes on the facade of the Treasury were caused hundreds of years ago by Bedouin tribesman hoping to uncover riches that they believed were hidden within. The giant urn carved above the Treasury bears the most bullet marks as it was believed to be holding riches inside.

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The Holy Chalice vessel, or Santo Cáliz, is an agate cup preserved in the Cathedral of Valencia. It is the object most commonly credited as being the actual Holy Grail used by Jesus during the Last Supper. It is preserved in a chapel consecrated to it, where it still attracts the faithful on pilgrimage.

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Now, however, archaeologists are discovering that ancient Petra was a sprawling city of lush gardens and pleasant fountains, enormous temples and luxurious Roman-style villas.

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The spectacular sandstone city of Petra was built in the 3rd century BC by the Nabataeans, who carved palaces, temples, tombs, storerooms and stables from the soft stone cliffs.

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Although sand bottles may look beautiful and have obviously been skillfully created, the more sand that's taken from Petra's natural landscape the less stable the landscape becomes.

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