The Middle East

The Middle East

We visited Petra for a day in October and spent 5 fascinating hours exploring.

We entered through a rocky passage with very high walls called the Siq – you can do this on foot, but we chose to do this on horseback.

Entering through the Siq was a dramatic and atmospheric introduction to the ancient city. You come out the other side of this passage at The Treasury, a rock-cut temple that’s the most-photographed part of the site due to its starring role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

The next big thing to do is to hike up 822 steps carved out of the mountain to the Monastery building – its large, intricately carved façade and views looking out over the surrounding valleys are stunning. Other things to see include the pillars of the Hadrian Gate and the Cardo beyond it – a long street that was once the ancient city’s main thoroughfare. This was a very easy day trip to make from Taba in Egypt.