"Petra : the city of the caravans " a Petra Travel Page by TheWanderingCamel

Among the early visitors to Petra was David Roberts, the Scottish painter, who came here in March 1839.

he wrote : "I am more and more astonished and bewildered with this extraordinary city, which must be 5 or 6 miles each way in extent; and every ravine has been inhabited, even to the tops of the mountain. The style of the architecture varies from all that I have ever seen... and I have often thrown my pencil away in despair of ever being able to convey any idea of this extraordinary place..

The valley has been filled with temples, public buildings, triumphal arches and bridges, all of which have been laid prostrate, with the exception of one arch and one temple, and of this temple the portico has fallen. The stream still flows through it as heretofore; the shrubs and wildflowers flourish luxuriantly; every crevice of the rock is filled with them, and the air is perfumed with the most delicious fragrance."

Most people would wish to have seen Petra in such circumstances!

In addition to the advice you get from VT, I recommend purchasing the Rough Guide to Jordan by Matthew Teller It is full of informative advice and extremely helpful.

Megypt