Al Beidha

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The neolithic ruins of Al Beidha date back 9000 years and, along with Jericho, constitute one of the oldest archaeological sites in the Middle East. The remains of around 65 round (and later rectangular) structures are especially significant because they pinpoint the physical transition from hunter-gatherer to settled herder-agriculturalist communities. The settlement was abandoned around 6000 BCE, keeping the site intact. A 15-minute walking trail, starting to the left of the entrance to Little Petra, leads to the site.

It's important to keep to the marked trails at Al Beidha as the site is fragile. It's fair to say that for the casual visitor, the ruins require imagination, but the location among wind-eroded cliffs is an inspiring one. Broken tablets leading from Little Petra to the site helpfully mark key points in world history that put the mind-stretching antiquity of Al Beidha into context.

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