Petra

The stone-cut city located on the slope of Mount Hor in Jordan has been something that has captivated me since I first saw it in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It lies in a basin among the mountains that form the large valley between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra is one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1985.

Archaeologists have determined that Petra was constructed by the Nabataeans, around 100 BC, as their capital city. The western world did not even know of its existence until 1812! While the history of the ancient city of Petra is amazing and worthy of it's own post, I can not move past the stunning beauty and the incomparable architectural feat. Considering the tools and technology available over 2100 years ago, the fact that this city was able to be completed is nothing short of miraculous.
Maybe I am enthralled with Petra because I always dreamed of being Indiana Jones, or at least his sidekick. Damn you Shia LaBeouf! I just can't imagine anything more epic than approaching Petra down this narrow canyon while riding on a camel and having my head wrapped up in a bedouin.