The New York Times’s online Travel section has a great series entitled, “The ‘New Seven Wonders of the World” which provides a 360 degree view of amazing locations around the globe. The video on Petra Jordan is just stunning.
Description: The city of Petra was built by the Nabateans, who lived in the Wadi Musa valley for more than 400 years, in a spot strategically located along early silk and spice trade routes. The city fell to the Roman Empire in A.D. 106.
The Hellenistic facades are carved directly into the canyons and use the natural terrain as guides. Today, the monuments are vulnerable to flash flooding in the Wadi Musa and continuing erosion from wind and rain.
The number of visitors to Petra has decreased in recent years, in part because of instability and violence in the Middle East.