This is one of the world’s architectural wonders, the so-called ‘Monastery’ at Petra in Jordan. It’s actually a rock-cut tomb, carved by the Nabatean people about 2000 years ago. As at Baalbek (see earlier posts) the scale is magnificent. One barely notices the fellow sitting in the threshold of the doorway. The tomb, which has an enormous chamber inside, was carved out of the sandstone of the mountain. Notice that the erosion is actually from the bottom as water is absorbed from the ground and percolates up, thus dissolving the sandstone, while the upper levels, even though they are exposed to the wind, are in very good condition. If you want to see more images from Petra, go to the Galleries page where I have a slideshow of several pictures.