Google Street View brings Jordan's wonders to the world

This is the fifth Street View imagery collected of a major landmark in MENA, after Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Liwa desert in Abu Dhabi and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Google announced on Monday the launch of 360-degree street view imagery of Petra and 30 other landmarks in Jordan for the first time.

Street View Special Collects is a feature of Google Maps that lets users explore places around the world like landmarks, natural wonders, as well as culturally and historically significant sites. Today, anyone with an internet connection can explore Rose-city of Petra, the Dead Sea, the monuments of Jerash, Qasr Al Kharana, Mount Nebo and more.

Ulf Spitzer, Global Lead for the Google Street View Program, stated: "The Google Street View team goes to amazing places around the world because we know that our users love to see them and experience them online. Jordan is one of the most spectacular places that we have visited - thanks to the amazing support and warm hospitality that was extended. We hope our imagery conveys all the grace, beauty and deep heritage of the country."

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah, in a blog post about the launch, said that with Google Maps Street View, "people all over the world now have a window into our magical Kingdom in the heart of the Middle East. It is a great taster of what visitors can expect when they come to Jordan."

She added that this technology also "provides a lens on the past. And when we understand more about each other's stories and cultures and histories, we realize that we are more alike than we are different. That's why we must preserve these treasures for future generations. They're a doorway to our shared narrative."

This is the fifth Street View imagery collected of a major landmark in MENA, after Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the Liwa desert in Abu Dhabi and the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt.

Google Maps Street View began in 2007 and today covers thousands of cities in 72 countries. The program includes capturing 360 degree imagery of theme parks, university campuses, pedestrian malls, landmarks and zoos.

• MENA