Jordan is one of the best places to explore if you are particularly interested in lost cities and cultures. Not only will it satisfy your craving, it will offer you more than what you would expect an archeological site would be. Set in a stunning desert landscape, the lost cities of Petra and Wadi Rum tell of a forgotten culture of master craftsmen, traders and nomads.

Petra is only one of the marvels that Jordan has to offer. Located in the middle of the Arabian desert and made popular by the film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, this city was covered in rock and sand, completely lost for an extended period. When finally discovered, it had never ceased to amaze the world. For an archeologist, the discovery of Petra has uncovered the culture of Nabateans; a seemingly mysterious people who made their home in the desert. To ordinary people however, Petra is what it is, a showcase of excellent craftsmanship. How the ancient Nabateans painstakingly carved temples, castles, houses and tombs is a marvel enough much more is how the intricate designs and columns were perfected.

 The path to Petra will take a sight-seer through a narrow passage called a Siq. It is completely carved out of the stone mountain and as if preparing you for something grand, it goes deep, winding and reaching about a kilometer long. The trek has its challenges yet the sight that will welcome you is nothing but pure beauty. One of Petra’s treasures, the al-Khas-neh has graced millions of photos not only because of its intricate architecture but its completely carved in pink rock. Otherwise known as the Treasury, this building is believed to be a royal tomb.

Beyond the Treasury and through a carved staircase, is the actual city. Every house, temple and nook of it is worth exploring yet it’s not your usual one day sightseeing trip. Petra has a temple, theater that is believed to seat around 3,000 spectators, burial chambers, a castle and a marketplace which are separated by rather high staircases.

Wadi Rum is yet another of Jordan’s breathtaking attractions. If Petra was all about being an organized city and culture, Wadi Rum is the opposite. Set in a stunning desert back dropped by intriguingly shaped mountains of rocks, Wadi Rum is believed to be where nomads settled camps. Scattered behind boulders or on mountainsides are small clues to what lives these nomads had in the desert. Exploring Wadi Rum can be quite a challenge yet nothing that adventurists and the intrepid bunch will not love.