Petra, an ancient Nabatean city, is the prime tourist destination in Jordan. Most of the structures of the city itself are either ruined or being rediscovered and restored, but the tomb facades carved into the sides of the mountains surrounding it are amazing.

The approach to Petra is through a narrow slot canyon called Il Siq. Even if there weren't an ancient city on the other end, this could qualify as a tourist attraction by itself.

looking up from il-Siq. The canyon is only a few meters wide.

Not only are the canyons interestingly sculpted, they are awesomely colored, especially this rose red color.

Here's the first glimpse that this isn't an ordinary slot canyon.

This is called "the Treasury", and was used in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It's probably the most photographed part of Petra.

The interior of a tomb. These fabulous buildings carved into the rock were apparently all graves or memorials, although no bodies have been found in them. The Nabatean influence in the region was strongest from the 6th century BC until 106 AD, when the Romans conquered Petra. As you can see from the much-eroded accents in these pictures, the Nabateans were much influenced by Greek and Roman architecture.

I really liked this soldier costume.

The Romans built a standard-issue town in the middle of Petra after they acquired rights to it. This is the amphitheater.

Another somewhat more eroded Absolut bottle

Oleanders grow wild in this part of the world, farther west in Morocco you see canyons filled with them they way our canyons are filled with poison oak. I don't know who the grasshopper is.

Souvenir stand.

Up at the top of a trail above the city of Petra is this tomb, called the Monastery.

This temple in the Roman city of Petra is being excavated by a team from Brown University.

Mosaics on the floor of a chapel in an American restoration project.

Want a camel ride?

Kurdish tourists.

Blue Sinai lizard (Agama sinaita), The Internet says they change their color to red when threatened, but I guess he didn't feel threatened.

We took a bit of a wrong turn and ended up climbing all the way to the top of the cliffs overlooking the town of Petra.

Another picture of the amphitheatre from the top of the "wrong path".

I thought this looked like a face.

The "Silk Tomb".

Corinthian Tomb and Silk Tomb.

The "Urn Tomb".

On to Wadi Rum