War and terrorist attacks may have put an end to tourism in the Middle East – at least in the short to medium term – but armchair travellers can now take a tour around one of the region’s most famous sites without leaving their desk. Google Street View has launched a virtual tour of the ancient city of Petra, declared one of the “new” seven wonders of the world in 2001.
Narrated by Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, the video takes viewers on a journey along the narrow path through the rose-coloured rock to the famous facade of Al Khaznah (the Treasury), past the Street of Facades and the 8,000-seat amphitheatre, to the Monastery – carved deep into the mountain – as well as visiting the surrounding tombs and temple.
It took several days for the trekker – the person tasked with carrying a backpack-mounted set of cameras – to methodically walk around the site, capturing it from many angles.
Petra is one of 30 historical sites in Jordan launched today on Google Street View and is the latest Middle Eastern attraction to be explored, following the Pyramids of Giza, the Liwa Desert and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
It joins many other iconic world attractions to have been mapped, including the Great Barrier Reef, the Adelie penguin rookery at Cape Royds in Antarctica, Everest base camp and the Amazon. Google Street View launched in the US in 2007 and now covers 65 countries worldwide.
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