50 | January 2013 www.womanthismonth.com Travel The Low-down: The giant, red mountains and vast mausoleums of a departed race have nothing in common with modern civilisation and are appreciated as one of the greatest wonders ever wrought by nature and man. Nothing really prepares you for this amazing place. Petra is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2,000 years ago. X-Factor: The Treasury is merely the first of the many wonders that make up Petra. You will need at least four or five days to really explore everything here. As you enter the Petra valley you will be overwhelmed by the natural beauty of this place and its outstanding architectural achievements. There are hundreds of elaborate rock-cut tombs with intricate designs. Here also is a massive Nabataean-built, Roman-style theatre, which could seat 3,000 people. There are obelisks, temples, sacrificial altars and colonnaded streets, and high above, overlooking the valley, is the impressive Ad-Deir Monastery — a flight of 800 rock-cut steps takes you there. Best For: Photographers. Sights are at their best in early morning and late afternoon; when the sun warms the multicoloured stones, you can view the majesty of Petra as it was seen first when rediscovered in 1812 after being lost for almost 300 years. Share the excitement the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt would have felt on his first visit as you enter the narrow gorge of Al-Siq, the secret entrance to Petra. After winding down this great natural cleft for over a kilometre, the sudden impact of the view of the Treasury is as strong every time. Petra, Jordan In Search of History By Elma Bartholomew Go back in time with a trip to one or all of these three destinations, all favourites of history buffs around the globe. We take a look beyond the typical Great Wall of China, forts in India and castles in Europe.
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