Petra has been elected by the world community in 2007 as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985, described by UNESCO as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage". BBC chose it as one of "the 40 places you have to see before you die". It lay unknown to the Western world from the 12th century until 1812, when it was introduced by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. Petra is now a symbol of Jordan and its most visited tourism destination. JB Multimedia