The City of Petra Faces Tourism Crisis

Petra is Jordan's greatest tourist attraction. Despite of its amazing and peaceful place, they have been struggling with their tourism.

Petra is known as the "rose-red city" because of its giant red mountains and huge mausoleums. During the new millennium, more than 700,000 people were visiting the city every year. Today, an average number of tourists went down to 425,000, as reported by CNN.

The reason for the downfall is not because of the city itself, but the commotion of their neighbor countries. The tumult in these countries brought a major impact on the tourism of Petra. People are staying away from the peaceful kingdom in Middle East.

In June, a big ceremonial platform in the south of the ancient city was discovered through an archaeological survey drones. It is twice as broad as the Olympic-size swimming pool.

The city of Petra is naturally carved into red desert cliffs. It became more popular when it was used as the venue for the film "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".

Petra's Ancient Tomb

Petra was the ancient city of rock. There were several tombs built at the edge of the city and in the main street. Some of these were simple and others were breathtaking. The well-known tomb is called "Khazneh," which is an Arabic word for "Treasury". It is believed by the local people that the tomb contained hidden treasure.

Petra's Ancient Temple

The city has 3 major temples - Castle of the Daughter of the Pharaoh, Great Temple and Temple of the Winged Lion.

Castle of the Daughter of the Pharaoh - the structure of the temple may have been glorified to the god Dushara. Its walls have been preserved by the people.

Great Temple - It has a mini theater similar to the design of modern orchestra hall. It is decorated with elephant heads carved in limestone. Additionally, the theater may have been used for religious gatherings.

Temple of the Winged Lion - it is a small temple located in the hill. It has an altar with an image of winged feline near it and a worship area with columns.