"Eternally breath taking ...." a Petra Travel Page by onfoot

If I'm to advise any visitor to my country of a place that s/he has to see I would have to say "Petra". Though some people may think it's a bit Cliché but it's one of them world's heritages that are eternally breath taking ...

The city was craved around 6BC!! The main reason that "Nabatean tribe" decided to settle there was the availability of water (as the surroundings is mainly desert) and another reason was that it was naturally allocated in a defensive position, Right between huge mountains.
The city was located at a trade junction at that time, linking Southern Arabia, China, India to Greece, Rome, Syria & Egypt!
A unique trade was bitumen, which the Nabateans got of the Dead Sea ... It was used by the Egyptians to embalm the Deads & to caulking the ships.
Finally the Roman flood manage to overtake Petra ... And the Nabateans went back to being nomadic....

As petra became a world heritage, recognized by the UNESCO and other "official" organizations. The people who live in the old ruins and caves of the city were sent out, to houses in nearby villages. A lot of them are not accoustemed yet to the "housing" life style. Hence you'll see many still wandering the mountains, trying to sell small things as an excuse to stay in their home town.
This woman left her baby in this naturally craved crib .... in the heat, he was the only one who had natural A/C