Petra is Jordan's premier tourist attraction: south of Amman, it is a Nabataean city built in reverse, with buildings carved from sandstone cliffs near the modern town of Wadi Musa.  Here: a typical sequence of such rooms, showing the classical detailing, as well as severe deterioration at lower levels.

Many of the architectural details are on the way to obliteration.

Approaching through a spectacularly narrow defile, visitors saw the city appear suddenly, as the defile widened to reveal both sides of the cleft cut top to bottom by carvers.

A few miles south of Wadi Musa, there is a village called At Tayyiban. Actually there are two villages, the older one, camouflaged in desert tones, and the new one, on the hill to the right. The old village has now been converted to an upscale hotel, at what social cost a casual observer can't say.

Viewed strictly as a design challenge, the modernization of a traditional village into the hotel Taybet Zaman, owned by Jordan Tourism Investments, has been successful.

A pergola over a room's courtyard.

Approach to a guest room.

A former village street.

The obligatory pool, remarkable in its wider setting.