European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 01, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Jordan no written records have been found in Petra leaving scholars to conjecture about Many of the lost City s events. It is thought that the Nabat eans a nomadic tribe from Northern Arabia began carving Petra about 400 . A peaceful people they preferred to buy off the intruders with valuable gifts if they were attacked. This practice seems to have worked for centuries with everyone from hostile tribes to the greeks and romans. Evidence of Trade with the Western world is Clear from the facades of Many of the buildings and even the Odd Creek and roman coins that Are still found Here. The thinking goes that architects and builders from Greece were brought in by Petra s rulers to add to the City s Beauty. But even the peaceful Commerce Laden ways of the Nabat eans could t last forever. Eventually the romans took control of Petra and soon another Hub City flourished along another Trade route. Christianity came to Petra and Many tombs were turned into churches. But eventually earthquakes and a dwindling Trade took their toll and the City s importance and its population shrank. V in the 12th Century crusaders real ones this time rediscovered Petra and built two castles Here. But they too left soon and he City was forgotten once again by the West this time for almost 700 years. 7 in the Early 1800s, Petra was again rediscovered by the West Johann Ludwig Burckhardt a Swiss explorer wandered throughout the Arab world for several years. By posing As an Arab traveler he was Able to enter Many Sites that would otherwise have been closed to outsiders. Burckhardt having heard the legends of a lost City carved out of Rock in the desert eventually reached Petra. He talked his Way past the bedouin tribesmen by pretending to want to make a sacrifice at Aaron s Tomb. Throughout his few hours Here walking around the City with his guard for just the right spot to sacrifice his Goat he also quickly made notes and Drew sketches. On his. Return to England interest in Petra was rekindled it was taken off the shelves marked lost  Jordan is still a country full of fascinating places to visit. The red sea has a Galaxy of colourful fish and Coral Wadi rum an eerie untamed Mars like landscape with the most dramatic darkest starry night sky you be Ever seen. But Petra Haia magic a timeless waiting that never leaves your memory. Think of the famous lost of forbidden cities legendary and real Atlantis Camelot Machu Pitchu Wassana Cibola Shangrila Lhasa. Petra formally the lost City of the desert is very real and waiting to be explored. Jaws Hudson Moor or. Writer Long to we Mbadin own any. Aqaba the country s red sea port and Only Beach resort has 2,400 hotel Beds available for tourists. 0 Benefit of peace More tourists the stunning first View of Petra is the Treasury. By Klaus Bering Deutsche Presse Agenter _ of 2 applications for  to build hotels and Leisure Parks Are accumulating in the offices of Jordan s tourism ministry. Officials expect the ongoing Middle Eastern peace process to result in a surge of tourists. We Are reaping the benefits of peace says Mohammed Adwan jordanian minister for tourism and antiquities. _ hitherto a country somewhat off the beaten track the hash emite kingdom is three times the size of Belgium and has All it takes to develop into one of the most popular destinations in the Region. Jordan is largely dependent on the Revenue earned by the tourism Industry because of a Lack of natural resources and an underdeveloped Industrial sector tourism is like Oil for us Adwan says. And we now want to ensure it becomes a steady source of  but Jordan s tourism Industry is still in its fledgling stage. _. " " " Only 2,400 hotel Beds Are available in Aqaba the country s red sea port and Only Beach resort while Jordan s dead sea coast has Only a few hotels most not even equipped with telephones. Accommodation is limited even around Petra the breathtaking ancient Nabataean capital that is one of Jordan s prime attractions. But its resources Are inadequate to Cope with More tourists than it has now. The single hotel management school in Amman is too Small to train local staff in numbers sufficient to meet the expected Boom. While tourists have always streamed to Israel despite wars conflicts and palestinian uprisings in the israeli occupied West , political tension in the Middle East has Long had repercussions on tourism in Jordan. Just look at Eilat says Abdulaziz Kabariti German honorary Consul general and manager of the Coral Beach hotel in Aqaba referring to the nearby israeli red sea Beach resort Only a few Miles from the jordanian port. There Are hotels As far As the naked Eye can see and every Square Kilometre has been built up. Here in Aqaba you can count the number of Good competent hotels on your  Sami Abbadi manager of the Aqaba hotel shudders As he recollects the blow Felt by the tiny red sea town from the 1990 iraqi invasion of Kuwait and the ensuing persian Gulf War in 1991. All tourists left suddenly and hotel rooms were empty for months he says. Even today hoteliers in Aqaba have to Bear the Brunt of other events in the Arab world such As islamic terrorists shooting at tourists on Nile cruises in Egypt. Abbadi believes that most europeans Are uninformed about Jordan. Many of those who think a trip to Jordan could be risky Are unaware that we enjoy a Domestic stability of a kind found in hardly any other Arab state. In that respect the israelis Are much More professional he remarks but jordanians have come to realize the value of Good Public relations and at tourism fairs Are actively prompting their country s impressive ruins expansive desert landscapes and Coral reefs. Another undeniable attraction is the 300 sunny Days a year. Habeeb Habash of the tourism ministry developed Petras for Petra an effective and elaborate Campaign that brought German women named Petra to the ancient City. Abdulaziz Kabariti put american women on a Camel safari through the Rocky Wadi rum desert where Many parts of David lean s epic film Lawrence of Arabia were shot. In 1993, Jordan registered a total of More than 200/000 tourist arrivals from Europe and North America and 5477000 guests from other arabian states. Bookings from Europe increased by 48 percent in the first Quarter of 1994. Do Tolbut a by scr put Howard new service september 1, 1994 stripes Magazine