Things to see in Petra,Jordan

With the Middle East rising as a tourist destination, Petra is really starting to make a name for itself in the travel world. Considering the short flight time from the UK and the great weather with high temperatures, it's no surprise. If that doesn't convince you, please read below for a series of reasons why you should visit the amazing city of Petra. Even if you have not had the pleasure of travelling to Petra, no doubt you will have already seen it. Featured in a whole host of Blockbuster movies (Transformers and Indiana Jones being the most high profile), the beautiful sites of El Deir, a monastery built into rock, and the Obelisk Tomb are truly wondrous and a reminder of how fragile Petra is. The fragility of the buildings mean that it is something you need to experience sooner as it may not be around later. Just before 1986 Petra became a World Heritage site, awarded by UNESCO and no one will doubt it's worthiness. If the vast array of fantastic tombs and religious buildings is not enough for you, day trips over the border to Israel are an option. Many people are aware that Israel and Jordan have a history of not being best friends, but relations between the two countries have vastly improved over the years and it's really something that travellers need to take advantage of. For those who like outdoor activities, Petra is a great venue for hiking trips. The two most popular are The High Place of Sacrifice and the Mountain of Aaron. Given their names I probably don't need to tell you the end points of these trips are the place of burial of Moses' sibling and a place where people were said to be sacrificed to the gods. When travellers talk about places with history, but in actual fact the age of the country can be relatively new in context. Petra is truly history having become part of the Roman Empire as far back as 106 AD. When in Petra, it's near impossible not to be dumbfounded by the age and religious history of the beautiful city. The greatest thing about Petra is the fact that the discovery of all the areas of historical importance is not over. Discovering new sites is not top of the list for the Jordanian tourist board as all efforts have to go on better drainage to reduce erosion and risk losing the current sites. Jordan is a fantastic place to visit and Petra is the main reason to visit there (but not the only reason).