Fllourished for over 400 years around time of Rome and Christ, until occupied by Roman legions of emperor Trajan in 106 A.D. Petra basin boasts over 800 individual monuments mostly carved from kaleidoscopic sandstone by technical and artistic genius of the Nabataeans. Walk through ancient city, find yourself back in world of 2C A.D. provincial cities along southeastern border of Roman Empire. Only 1 hour drive to north of Aqaba. Known as Gadara in Bible, only been partially excavated. Archaeologists confident that ruins, when fully excavated, will constitute a major city.
Small museum contains artefacts from area.
Few kilometres downhill from ruins are thermal hot springs of Himmeh. Abila - as yet unexcavated, but considerable remains of city can be seen scattered about landscape, on 2 adjacent hills.