PETRA: US President Barack Obama marveled at the sights of Jordan’s ancient city of Petra yesterday as he wrapped up a four-day Middle East tour by setting aside weighty diplomatic matters and playing tourist for a day.

The visit’s main concrete achievement was Obama’s brokering of a rapprochement between Israel and Turkey. But the tour resulted in little more than symbolic gestures toward peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.

Before heading to Petra, Obama used a stop in Jordan to ratchet up criticism of Syrian President Bashar Assad, stopping short of promising military aid to Syrian fighters.

US officials privately voiced satisfaction with the results of the first foreign trip of Obama’s second term, but aides had set expectations so low that it was not hard to proclaim it a mission accomplished.

In full sightseeing mode, Obama flew by helicopter to Petra for a two-hour walking tour of the restored ruins of a city more than 2,000 years old some of which is carved into sandstone cliffs.

Ordinary tourists had been cleared out for the president’s visit, and guards with assault weapons followed his every step.

“This is pretty spectacular,” Obama, wearing sunglasses, khaki trousers and a dark jacket, said as he craned his neck to look up at the Treasury, a towering rose-red façade cut into a cliff. “It’s amazing.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah was on hand at Amman airport to send Obama on his way home to Washington.