Petra

Located amid rugged desert canyons and mountains in what is now the southwestern corner of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Petra was once a thriving trading center and the capital of the Nabataean empire between 400 B.C. and A.D. 106. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. UNESCO has described Petra as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage". The Siq is the main entrance to the ancient Nabatean city where through a slit passage, one slowly views The Treasury, as seen from as-Siq, right before the passage ends. The two main attractions are the Treasury and the Monastery. In 2007, Al-Khazneh was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Petra is a symbol of Jordan, as well as Jordan's most-visited tourist attraction. Tourist numbers peaked at 1.1 million in 2019, marking the first time that the figure rose above the 1 million mark. Tourism in the city was crippled by the COVID-19 pandemic, but soon after started to pick up again, reaching 260,000 visitors in 2021. I was one of the many tourist who came after Covid lockdowns. Making Petra the 3rd, New 7 Wonders I have visited after Chichen-Itza and Machu Picchu.

Petra, Jordan

September 2022