Petra… Ancient Nabataean City and one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

When asked why I was going to Jordan, this is really the reason why… Petra.

Petra is a magnificent archeologic site hidden in the heart of the windblown landscape at the end of a winding siq, a narrow winding pathway with walls of red-rose sandstone towering on either side.

The scale, the age  and the intricacy of Petra’s many monuments is almost unfathomable. How these primitive people without the benefit of technology or equipment could carve these towering structures, elaborately decorated out of sheer cliff faces is mind-boggling.

Petra is a necropolis, which means it is built to honour the dead, hence many of the structures are tombs. Petra was forgotten and lost for centuries, lived in only by the Nomadic Bedouin, until disc overed in 1812 by a Swiss explorer. It is still being excavated by teams from all over the world. They believe that, despite its grand scale, only about 20% has been unearthed so far.

1.       Trek in through the Siq. This narrow, winding 1.2 km canyon towers 200 m above on either side, narrowing to 2 m wide in places. It slopes gently downhill toward Petra. It is an easy walk in. As the pathway turns to sand, your heartbeat quickens. You know around the next bend the magnificent Treasury will come into view.

    Though the trek is not unduly long or difficult, there is the option of coming in by horse and carriage.

2.  The Treasury. The Treasury is the jewel in the crown of Petra, a magnificently carved structure that greets you on entry, carved in the iron-rich rock face of the towering cliffs. The best time to arrive is early morning before the hordes and when the sunlight is painting to façade. The Treasury was the tomb built for the last Nabataean king Aretas III.  

3.  Climb to the High Place of Sacrifice. A challenging climb, scrambling partly up rough-hewn steps and partly up sheer rock-face (don’t forget you have to come down!) you reach an ancient sacrificial alter high above offering a stunning view down to the Treasury below. The alter is a round rock platform with a drain and channelway where the blood of the animals that were offered in sacrifice ran. 

4.       Street of Facades.

Surrounded by towering walls

of rock the canyon is wider here

and carved tombs are now

joined by the residential

structures carved in 2 or 3

storey s of rock. During the

Nabataean period up to 30,000 people resided here.

The Theatre. Here 40 rows of seats hosted up to

8500 visitors. Despite being well weathered

now, its function as a theatre is still visible.

5. The Royal Tombs: The Silk Tomb, The Urn Tomb and The Palace Tomb.

These are some of the most impressive tombs in Petra, partly due top the magnificently carved

columns and imposing stature, but also because if the beautiful stone out which they are carved

The rock is unlike any other, with beautiful swirls of color- reds, blues, yellows – resembling

swirling silk scarves. At first glance it seems to be painted, but on closer inspection it is the

actual grain of the rock.

 6. Colonnaded Streets and Nymphaeum. As you near what would have been the old city centre the street is flanked on both sides by remains of the columns and shops which once lined the streets. This was from the Roman period, built in about 106AD. The Nymphaeum was a public fountain where water was always available to residents and travellers, an extremely important service for this dry desert climate.

7. The Great Temple. Again from Roman times, this impressive structure begins with a sweeping set of steps leading up to a theatre and courtyard.

8. The Monastery. Perhaps the most impressive of all the structures in Petra, The Monastery sits high above accessible by a climb up 950 uneven carved steps, about a 2 hour hike up. It offers the most spectacular views of the city and the surrounding area. By this point I was already pushing 21,000 steps and opted instead for a cold beer at the Basin Restaurant.

9. The Church.  One of the most recent discoveries as archeologists continue to carefully excavate the area is the Byzantine or Blue Church. This church is known for its blue marble which is said to have come from Egypt and the beautifully mosaicked floors.

 10.Camel Caravan.  OK, this was likely the most fun part of the day....

After lunch at the Basin, we mounted our caravan of 16 camels and began our procession back through the winding streets of Petra to the Treasury. No easy feat to assemble a group of 16 camels, but we did.

We created quite the spectacle as, like visiting dignitaries, people along the way stopped to photograph and video us. I am sure we will be on 1000 vacation albums worldwide! 

 

Unfortunately there is only one way out and that is back out through the Siq, uphill this time.  We slowly hike back out and back to our hotel for a bit of a rest and dinner before we return for Petra by night.  Come With Me....