Petra - Lost City in Jordan and One of the New Seven Wonders of the World

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception



Petra is a fascinating ancient city and was selected as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Lying in a remote area of the southern desert mountains of Jordan, Petra was "lost" to the western world from about the 14th century until the early 19th century. The rose-red city carved into the limestone mountains was prominently featured in the climax of the Harrison Ford/Sean Connery movie, Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade.

Aqaba, Jordan, which is about a 2.5-hour drive from Petra, is a popular Red Sea port of call for cruise ships sailing between the Mediterranean and the Far East. We visited Aqaba for two days on the Silversea Silver Whisper, which allowed us time to spend a day in Petra and a 1/2 day on a 4-wheel drive excursion into the desert at Wadi Rum. These pictures from Petra capture both the beauty and the mystery of this ancient city carved into red cliffs. Petra is definitely a "must see" for Red Sea and Southwest Asia cruises.