From Cincinnati to Petra

In 1812 a super traveler named Johan Ludwig Burkhardt entered a world that was lost to Europeans for centuries. He passed himself of as a Muslim from India and entered Petra in Jordan. Burkhardt spent years learning Arabic and the tenants of Islam to penetrate deep into the Arab world. After hearing from local Bedouins about a magical ancient city Burkhardt convinced them that he needed to make a sacrifice at the Tomb of the Prophet Aaron that was nearby. Thus he was the first modern traveler to enter Petra.

In 2004 I entered Petra on the same route and was blown away. I happened to be with some folks from the Cincinnati Art Museum who filmed a video in Petra for their opening of a Petra exhibit in Cincinnati. Take a five- minute tour yourself by clicking here. I was the last person on the video and as I listened to my comments, I reveled realizing that in a few short days I will return.