"the rose coloured city" a Petra Travel Page by uglyscot

Nothing you have read or seen really prepares you for the reality of Petra.
No visit to Jordan is complete without a trip to Petra. We went by car and decided to go via the Dead Sea route. The scenery is amazing, but I was not happy driving up and round the mountains with huge drops down into the valleys.
Although there were a lot of tourists around, it was not difficult to find a horse and cart to take us through the gorge into Petra. The passage through the gorge which was longer than I had expected was interesting because of the rock formations.
Then the arrival at the exit, and you are faced with the rosy coloured Khaznah [Treasury]. .
It's best to visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon to appreciate the rose-coloured monuments. Ideally a few days are needed to explore the place properly,

See tips to get a rose-coloured picture!

With my interest in geology, I was as much interested in the rock formations and the rocks themselves as in the buildings of Petra. The rose -colour is most obvious in the early morning and late afternoon. Many of the rock faces are very red and pink in colour, often banded..

One of the problems in Petra is that the locals have realised that they can make money by selling chunks of rock cut from the cliffs. They also offer 'old' coins for sale, usually in a manner that suggests that what they have for sale is special, or rare. If you part with a few dollars, you'll probably find someone with a stall selling the identical coin at a cheaper price.