I was without protection in the midst of a desert where travellers had never before been seen; and a closer examination of these works would have excited suspicion that I was a magician. In the mountains of Arabia a secret valley conceals one of the most stunning and fabulous archaeological sites in the world. Legendary Petra, 'the rose-red city, half as old as time', was carved from the rock more than 2,000 years ago. In 1812 Burckhardt, a young Swiss explorer searching for the source of the River Niger in Africa, stumbled upon the incredible remains of this city, lost to western eyes since the time of the Crusades. David Drew tells the story of the rediscovery of this remarkable site and of the courage and determination shown by one man in conditions of great personal danger.