Have you ever heard of Petra also known as the Red-Rose City? I discovered it three weeks ago during my trip to the Middle East. We flew to Amman, capital of the Hechemite Kingdom of Jordan. The next day we drove for four hours through fields, valleys and mountains. [Click on pictures to enlarge]Our bus dropped us at the entrance of what looked like a series of rocks and instruct
ed us to walk for about an hour or so, or ride a donkey!
ed us to walk for about an hour or so, or ride a donkey! 
The "so" turned out to be three hours under pouring rain. No cars or buses can go through the dusty pathes crossing the lost city.
After walking for an hour we began
Petra is a city carved in rocks of rich colors, violet, red, pink and blue, due to mierals such as copper, cobalt...
Petra was built two thousand years ago by the Nabataeans according to our guide--never heard of them. Later it was conquered by the Roman Empire.
They built a dam in the rocks.
A large earthquake destroyed a lot of the city in 360 AC. In 1812, a Swiss explorer dressed up as an arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city. After that the city became known to the West.
A large earthquake destroyed a lot of the city in 360 AC. In 1812, a Swiss explorer dressed up as an arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city. After that the city became known to the West.
Notice that this is NOT a building. It's just a facade. The rest of it is concealed INSIDE the rock.
The Treasury as this place is called, is intricately decorated with Corinthian capitals, decorative bands, and figures. It is crown by a funerary urn which according to local legend conceals a pharaoh's treasure. The treasury is believed to be the mausoleum of one of the Nabataean kings.
In spite of the rain, no one wanted to ride a camel! After three hours of walk under pouring rain and no place to hide from the pelleting, we finally arrived at a restaurant and were driven ten people in a SUV that could hardly fit five to our hotel. But the view of the Lost City was worth the trouble.
Mona Risk writes romantic suspense for Cerridwen Press: TO LOVE A HERO and FRENCH PERIL and medical romance in the genre of ER and Grey's Anatomy for The Wild Rose Press: Rx FOR TRUST and BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, winner of 2009 BEST contemporary romance at READERS FAVORITE and 2009 BEST ROMANCE NOVEL at Preditors & Editors Reader
s Poll. All books are available at Amazon.comwww.monarisk.com
If you like to travel and love to read, come and enjoy my international romances. I will take you around the world through stories that simmer with emotion and sizzle with heat~
28 comments:
Thanks, Mona! I always learn something new from your travel stories.
Wow, Mona. Fascinating. Utterly. I learn a lot from all your adventures. This outing sounds quite arduous but one you will always remember. What an amazing place.
Amazing! How blessed you were to find this lost city and share it with us. Welcome home, Mona!
Next time come along with me. Although I doubt I can forget the exhaustion of this trip for a long time. bUt it was worth all the trouble.
Mona, Absolutely breathtaking. I can only imagine what it felt walk to walk into and touch the past.
Question, was this where the last Indiana Jones film was shot?
Glas your home safe.
Autumn I have no idea where Indiana Jones was shot, but Petra could qualify. I wish I could see the place by sunshine. I would enjoy it much more.
So that's where you've been hiding:) BEAUTIFUL pics and totally fascinating! Too bad the weather didn't cooperate for you. Was this just a one-day visit?
Hi Molly, I was missing in action, doing research for my next book. Research Mona's style.
Love your photos and tales of your travels. Can't wait to see more of your trip to the Middle East.
Amazing photos! I would love to visit Petra - the third Indiana Jones movie was filmed there. It is definitely one of the ancient wonders of the world, IMO! Glad you got to ride a camel!
Absolutely beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing.
Love the pictures, Mona! The journey sounds like it was very exhausting but worth it. I believe the word "Petra" means rock. Thanks for sharing your adventure!
Mona, these photos are unbelievable. How wonderful that you were able to travel there and see them first hand. Thank you for sharing them. I had no idea something as extraordinary existed.
I am still glad you are home safe and sound though.
Awesome,Mona! I wanna go! Your photos are wonderful!
Betty, I will be posting every other day for a month. I have so many stories and pictures to share.
Julia, thank you for confirming that Indiana Jones was filmed there. Autumn asked me about that and I couldn't answer. Our guide didn't say anything about it.
C.L. glad you like it.
Tiffany, I think Petra is a latin word, French is pierre, and both mean rock or stone.
Paisley, I am glad we made it thanks to our pilot who didn't obey the ground order but had the common sense to fly over Africa rather than Europe while the Iceland volcano was erupting full speed.
What beautiful pictures! Thank you for sharing. :)
Maeve, I am glad you enjoyed these pictures. I will be posting every other day for a month about a very exciting trip and unusual places I saw two weeks ago.
Mary, next time you come with me, girl!!!
You walked all that far. Wow, you are in good shape Mona!
I'd have ridden the donkey or the camel. What can I say.
What I can say is that your pictures are just fantastic. I have seen pictures, and documentaries, and it was used in one of the Indiana Jones Movies too. But your pictures are really magazine worthy. What an exciting experience. I am so happy you made it safely there and home. I worried about you!
Mary, I wish I knew I was in Indiana Jones' setting!! Maybe I would have taken better pictures. I missed you too.
Amazing photos Mona. Thanks for sharing. What an adventure.
Gorgeous photos, Mona! Thanks for sharing *g*
Hi Kathy and Beth, stay tuned for starting a trip to Egypt tomorrow with the Colossi of Memnon
Wow, Mona! Your pictures blew me away. You do a great job explaining the places you've been to. Thanks so much for sharing.
Smiles
Steph
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