You are on a trip to Jordan a small country in the Middle East Today you are visiting the city of Petra This city in the desert is about three hours from Amman Jordan’s capital city It is one of the world’s largest archaeological sites Your visit begins with a walk through a canyon path called the Siq It winds between towering sandstone walls They are more than 250 feet 76 meters tall When you emerge from the Siq you see a magnificent structure cut from stone Welcome to Petra 4 A DESERT TREASURE
WATER IN THE DESERT Ancient clay pipelines can be seen on the canyon walls during the walk through the Siq These clay pipes once brought water down to the center of Petra VIEW FROM THE SIQ 5
RAQMU Petra’s original name was Raqmu The Roman emperor Trajan named the city Petra during the second century CE The name comes from a Greek word that means rock Petra is an ancient desert city carved from sandstone walls It is in Jordan near the town Wadi Musa Petra lies in a dry valley surrounded by mountains and canyons The city spreads out over more than 100 square miles 259 square kilometers across rocky terrain The sandstone’s pinkish color gives Petra the nickname the Rose City 6 WHAT IS PETRA
Visitors to Petra walk and climb to see structures carved into sandstone These structures include tombs and temples Some structures have elegant facades Others have simpler designs PETRA JORDAN W N S E 7 WHERE IS PETRA
