Google has announced 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.

Google used the Trekker which is a wearable Street View backpack with a camera system on top that is designed to go down footpaths, tracks and narrow pathways to get images of areas of natural beauty or tourist sites.

Ulf Spitzer, Global Lead for the Google Street View Programme, said: “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…” The Queen 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 realise 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.”

Google worked closely with the Office of Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah who was very pleased to lend her support to the global initiative. Her Majesty Queen Rania also helped in the selection of the sites at the initial stages of the project and provided an exclusive narration of the global launch video that was widely spread across the internet.

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.

Jordan’s historical landmarks now joins other world sites on Street View such as the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben; and natural wonders such as Grand Canyon, Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Antarctica and the Alps.

The imagery of the 30 historical sites and other sites is now available on Google Maps and can be viewed on g.co/Jordanhighlights and g.co/Petra. – TradeArabia News Service