The area around Petra has been inhabited since 7000 BC. Nabataeans settled during the 4th century BC, making Petra their capital and establishing it as a major regional trading hub. Petra flourished in the 1st century AD with an estimated 20.000 inhabitants. It eventually fell to the Romans and Petra's importance declined as sea trade routes emerged, and after an earthquake in 363 destroyed most structures.
In the Byzantine era several Christian churches were built, but the city continued to decline, and by the early Islamic era it was abandoned except for a handful of nomads. It remained unknown to the West until it was rediscovered in 1812 by Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Access to the city is through a narrow gorge, called the Siq, which leads directly to the famous treasury. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, described as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage". In 2007 it was voted one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. COVID19-related travel restrictions caused a massive decline in tourists, the few fortunate enough to visit were rewarded with grand splendour all to themselves. A day is not enough to explore all gorges, hills, sites and paths, plan at least three days to make the most of this awesome heritage site.