Petra

Anyone who has seen Indiana Jones and the Search for the Holy Grail will know of Petra even in they don’t know the name. Recently named as one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World, Petra, today in southwest Jordan, was known as Seir (and Sela) in the Old Testament (Genesis 32:3ff). The ancient Nabataeans built a whole civilization by carving structures into the sandstone cliffs. With only one entrance and easily defended Petra survived for centuries until the Romans annexed it in 106 CE and the Crusaders invaded it in the 12th century. Remaining hidden to the world until 1812 Petra is now one of the top tourist destinations in the world.