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December 7, 2009
Petra: The extraordinary beauty of Jordan’s ancient city
Legendary explorer Gertrude Bell described Petra as “a fairy tale city, all pink and wonderful.... the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen.” Having visited Jordan’s ancient city myself, I couldn’t agree more: Petra is truly spectacular.
Since the ruins are nestled in a deep desert valley, surrounded on all sides by soaring sandstone cliffs, visitors have to pass through a steep, dark, and narrow passageway—called the Siq—to enter. For me, the darkness of the Siq made my first glimpse of Petra all the more magical: I stepped out of the murky passageway to find the city’s ornate facades flooded in brilliant sunlight. Painstakingly carved from the rocky, rose-red walls, they glowed as if lit from within by fire.
It was an unbelievable sight—and I felt so blessed to bear witness to Petra’s extraordinary beauty. Are there places you’ve visited in your own travels where you’ve felt a similar sense of gratitude? If so, tell me about it at: harriet@oattravel.com
With the holiday season upon us, I’ll be scaling back a bit on my postings—but I’ll still be updating the site weekly, so I hope you’ll continue to check in between now and New Year’s to see what’s new.
Harriet Lewis