I’m positioned at a UNESCO World Heritage site, yet my attention remains locked on the gorge floor below. This isn’t some deliberate display of modesty; our guide, Zuhair Zuriqat, is building anticipation for the ancient marvel we’re about to witness for the first time.

“After I count to three, I need you to look up my friends”, says Zuhair. “So one, two and three…” As I raise my head, I’m greeted by the breathtaking spectacle of the Treasury, the most ornate rock-hewn tomb in Petra, Jordan’s jewel in the crown and one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. A remnant of the Nabataeans, an enterprising Arab civilisation who established themselves in southern Jordan over 2,000 years ago, Petra, Zuhair explains, is “the biggest tourist attraction that we have here in Jordan,” drawing visitors from across the globe. However, as I survey the Treasury (Al-Khazneh), one detail astounds me. The place is virtually empty.

Typically, Petra welcomes nearly one million tourists each year, but due to “noisy neighbours”, it’s now hauntingly abandoned “At this time of year, it should be the peak,” laments Zuhair. “Two years ago, there were certain days when we had over 10,000 visitors.”

So why are merely a handful of visitors present at this spectacular site presently? Zuhair diplomatically clarifies that since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted in October 2023, tourism here has plummeted dramatically. Due to Jordan sharing a frontier with Israel, the ongoing conflict has devastated its tourism sector.

Numerous prospective travellers watch regional news coverage and mistakenly believe the entire area merges into one dangerous territory.

The truth is that the Middle Eastern nation of Jordan has steadfastly remained neutral from military engagement, yet perception often proves stronger than reality when holidaymakers are making bookings.

“With the current political situation in the region, we’re victims of misperception, and so there’s less tourism coming in,” explains Tourism Consultant Malia Asfour, who previously served as Managing Director of Jordan Tourism Board North America.

She’s determined to emphasise that the nation remains fully operational and welcoming to travellers, including intimate tour parties like ours. Tourism provides livelihoods for countless local households, and when tourist figures plummet, the consequences are felt instantly.

“By having you here, you’re giving people a lift,” she explains. “You’re giving them life and support.” The contradiction is remarkable. Not too long past, Jordan was wrestling with excessive tourism at its most celebrated attractions.

Now it confronts the reverse predicament: convincing the globe that it remains secure, peaceful and absolutely prepared to welcome visitors once more.

The effect is most apparent where I’m positioned. I’ve witnessed photographs of Petra across social media, and it’s typically heaving with selfie-snapping tourists fighting to capture the perfect image of this archaeological marvel, so it feels extraordinary to have the legendary ‘Rose City’ practically to myself.

Believed to exceed 2,300 years in age, Petra’s precise construction date remains a mystery. By the first century BC, it had evolved into the Nabataean Empire’s capital, whose prosperity stemmed from trading frankincense, myrrh, and spices.

Presently, it functions as an Archaeological Park spanning 264,000 square metres throughout Wadi Musa, featuring a visitor centre and numerous Bedouin establishments offering coffee, refreshments, and keepsakes.

Admission costs 50 JOD (approximately £51). Your journey commences in the Siq, a slender ravine cutting through rose-hued rock.

The walls soar overhead, occasionally mere metres apart, streaked with pinks, rusts and buttery golds where centuries of erosion and flash flooding have smoothed and sculpted the stone into wave-like formations.

The atmosphere turns cool and resonant in sections, and guides typically highlight remnants of ancient water channels meticulously carved into the rock face, evidence that the Nabataeans excelled not merely at striking architecture but also outstanding engineering.

Subsequently, with impeccable theatrical timing, the Siq widens sufficiently to perfectly showcase Al Khazneh, the Treasury. Hewn directly into the sandstone cliff during the first century AD, its facade climbs roughly 40 metres skyward, displaying Corinthian columns, elaborate capitals and dramatic embellishments.

Our guide explains that Petra served as the Nabataean Kingdom’s capital from approximately the 4th century BC. These Arab merchants accumulated vast wealth by managing caravan passages for incense, spices, and other precious commodities travelling between Arabia, Egypt, and the Mediterranean.

They transformed this desert fortress into a flourishing metropolis, featuring temples, tombs, and a hillside theatre hewn from rock with capacity for thousands of spectators.

Later, Rome ultimately absorbed the city (goodness, their reach was truly impressive, wasn’t it?), and it remained prosperous until a catastrophic earthquake in AD 363 caused widespread destruction.

The devastation, coupled with changing trade networks, hastened Petra’s deterioration. Eventually, it fell into abandonment and survived only within local Bedouin knowledge.

Petra re-emerged into Western consciousness on August 22, 1812, courtesy of Swiss adventurer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, who possessed a remarkable talent for exploration.

Operating under the alias Ibrahim Ibn Abdallah whilst masquerading as an Arab academic, he convinced his Bedouin companions to escort him to a legendary concealed city within Jordan’s Wadi Musa.

His discovery revealed a 12th-century wonder that seemingly remained largely unfamiliar outside the immediate area. Quite the unexpected addition to one’s travel journal, particularly since Johann was originally pursuing the Niger River’s source.

Since then, Petra has achieved global recognition, particularly after serving as a cinematic setting in the 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, dramatically increasing visitor numbers to the location.

As a passionate film enthusiast (bordering on obsessive, my husband would say), I was delighted to be following in Indy’s footsteps. I also nearly exhausted our guide by bombarding him with enquiries about other productions filmed there.

Evidently, I wasn’t the first person to recite passages from The Last Crusade to him.

In a bid to redirect me from discussing cinema, Zuhair highlighted that Petra offers far more than just the Treasury.

Explore further, and you’ll encounter a theatre potentially dating to the early first century AD, the Petra Church Complex, the Pharaoh’s Column, and Qasr Bint Far’un (Palace of the Pharaoh’s Daughter).

More significantly, as you venture beyond the Treasury, you’ll begin noticing several cafés and shops operated by Bedouins, where you can sample Arabic eyeliner, purchase keepsakes, and taste pomegranate juice.

Despite the government resettling the Bedouins to neighbouring Wadi Musa, they’ve maintained their businesses within Petra and in the 2,000-year-old caves they’ve inhabited for generations. The doors remain open. The shelves stay stocked. What’s absent are the tourists.

Now is the time to purchase your mementoes, not merely because the scarves are stunning, but because tourism remains persistently sluggish, and these families genuinely depend on tourism revenue. Every keepsake, every glass of juice or coffee, every modest transaction isn’t merely a souvenir for you; it’s a tangible means of supporting local communities.

“Today is good because we see tourists,” says Rosa, who sells sand art bottles, jewellery, trinkets and bright woven textiles. “Normally, there is no one.”

As she speaks, she steadies my face and traces a line of dark kohl around my eyes, a Bedouin tradition used for centuries for both beauty and protection.

“Very beautiful,” Rosa declares. In a moment of pure vanity, I agree and buy the kohl, fully aware that I will never recreate this smoky desert goddess look at home.

Still, it feels like a small act of solidarity. It’s hard to walk past those colourful treasure troves and see them so quiet.

Following samples of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, fussing over the resident cats, and panic-buying additional souvenirs, our time in Petra was drawing to a close, and we were ushered towards a waiting bus.

The visit felt disappointingly short. I would gladly return to this breathtaking marvel and witness it teeming with visitors once more, even if that means surrendering my smug Instagram photographs of an almost-deserted Treasury.

Until the masses find their way back, this represents an uncommonly opportune moment to visit Jordan. Petra, the crimson sands of Wadi Rum and even the Jordanian shore of the Dead Sea can feel remarkably tranquil.

It’s an unusual opportunity to experience these locations without battling through swarms of selfie-stick-wielding tourists. If you’re anxious about exploring independently, group tours provide a straightforward and enjoyable alternative.

Operators including G Adventures, Explore Worldwide and Wild Frontiers provide various itineraries across Jordan, allowing you to experience these marvels alongside knowledgeable local guides.

Frankly, I believe it’s worthwhile spending your hard-earned cash somewhere visitors are genuinely welcomed, rather than destinations that regard tourists as mobile targets for water pistols (I’m looking at you, Spain). For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here.

I shall almost certainly be returning to this welcoming and hospitable nation. Next time, I might even succeed in capturing a proper selfie with other people in shot. I hope to see you there.