1 of 14
Carved Rooftop, PetraThe Nabataean capital of Petra is one of the many spectacular historical sites in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, a country of deep traditions that has worked to preserve its ancient inheritance and natural beauty while navigating modern realities in a region of continuing conflict. Reclining on a rooftop carved two millennia ago, a Bedouin surveys the realm of the Nabataeans, beckoning from the sands of southern Jordan. Forgotten for centuries, Petra still echoes with mysteries of the past; this immense building, Al Deir (the Monastery), was probably a Nabataean shrine.

Jordan Photos

See photos of Jordan (including Amman, Petra, the Dead Sea, and more) in this travel photo gallery from National Geographic.

Published March 18, 2010