City of Petra

You might not know about the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, unless you have seen the Indiana Jones movies, but it is an amazing sight. It was built in the 4th century B.C.E. by the Nabataens and was a great trading city, but by the 12th century it was just ruins. The western world didn't know about the city until a Swiss explorer rediscovered it in 1812. Then in 1994, after Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty, Petra finally became the tourist attraction it was supposed to be. However, as Neil MacFarquhar argues in his article, A Fabled Place Forsaken, Contaminated by War, the combination of the Palestinians rebelling against Israeli occupation and the 9/11 attacks dramatically decreased the tourism in Jordan, especially in Petra. He also argued that due to middle eastern politics, many citizens don't want tourists, particularly from Israel to come back. One man was quoted saying, "I don't think people [the Israelis] will welcome ... it will be very difficult. It is difficult to forget what is happening there." It is astounding to me that the politcs and the turbulance of the middle east can even affect the tourism of an otherwise incredible ancient city.

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