Now, you will be thrilled with the spectacular red rock carvings of Petra, made famous through the blockbuster movie, “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” Several movie scenes depict the 250-foot-high, narrow canyon sides with spectacular natural colored layers of sediment.

The lively red, pink, and white-colored sandstone walls draw you into the stunning façade of a once royal tomb, known by the Bedouin as “Al Kazneh” or, today, as the “Treasury.” Nearby, dozens of other tombs and carved artifacts add to the wonder of this “World Heritage” site. The site, once a thriving city, was established by the Nabateans more than 300 B.C. Recent archaeological projects have uncovered remains of innovative networks of water collection, efficient water storage, distribution conduits, and irrigation systems.

Petra became part of the Roman Empire, connecting Jordan and Israel with the Northern Arabian Peninsula. Archaeologists suggest that up to 85 percent of its infrastructure is still underground. In December 1993, numerous Greek-language scrolls of the Byzantine period were discovered in excavations near the Winged Lion Temple in Petra. The American Center of Oriental Research in Amman, Jordan, is now researching the scrolls and artifacts to reveal life in Petra before its importance in international trade was interrupted by earthquakes and changes in trade routes. Petra reached its height by the close of Byzantine rule, around 700 A.D.