/countries/show/jordan/1.rss en-us Step back into a time of lost cities and mystical pasts when you visit Petra. This surreal city is housed in southwestern Jordan, in a valley amongst mountains that run from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Discovered in 1812 by a Swiss traveler, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, Petra was later declared a World Heritage site in 1985. The history of Petra is somewhat ill-defined, passed from its original creators 6th century Nabataean Arabs , down through to Romans and later to Crusaders, it was eventually left to locals. The entry way to this amazing archeological site is a stretch of narrow gorge that is called a Siq, created by a natural geographical fault. This passage measures over a mile in length, towers over 600 feet high in some section and can be as narrow as 3 meters wide in places. As the Lost City of Petra gradually appears through the last corners of the Siq, a feeling of the purest and unmatched awe overcomes visitors lucky enough to grab this experience. Passed over by time, this city carved into the rock face is testament to a time of the silk trade, connecting routes that linked China and India with places like Egypt, Rome and Greece. Sat, 29 Dec 2007 11:46:42 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/petra http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/petra