Petra is one of the places that I planned to visit since my arrival in neighboring Syria to actually see for myself the ruins of past civilization and the location of the movie such as Indiana Jones and others. So took the opportunity of the public holiday declared by the Syrian government on Thursday 17 December, in conjunction with new Muslim year to visit Petra. Arrived finally in Petra town at about 10 pm, after having twice lost our way. Check into the hotel, freshened up and took a stroll in town in the cool evening breeze. Also took the opportunity to browse some of the souvenir shops that were still opened.
Petra is described as the glittering jewel of Jordan and one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. It is located about 262 km south of Amman and 133 km north of Aqaba, on the mountainous desert of the Wadi Araba. Hidden between steep-sided mountains lies the the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO world heritage site and one of The New 7 Wonders of the World that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe. The approach through a kilometer long, cool, and gloom chasm (or Siq) a long narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic contrast with the magic to come. Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, The Treasury (El-Khazneh), whose intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling morning sun.
Petra is described as the glittering jewel of Jordan and one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. It is located about 262 km south of Amman and 133 km north of Aqaba, on the mountainous desert of the Wadi Araba. Hidden between steep-sided mountains lies the the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO world heritage site and one of The New 7 Wonders of the World that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe. The approach through a kilometer long, cool, and gloom chasm (or Siq) a long narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun, provides a dramatic contrast with the magic to come. Suddenly the gorge opens into a natural square dominated by Petra's most famous monument, The Treasury (El-Khazneh), whose intricately carved facade glows in the dazzling morning sun.
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The site is semi-arid, the friable sandstone which allowed the Nabataeans to carve their temples and tombs into the rock crumbling easily to sand. The colour of the rock ranges from pale yellow or white through rich reds to the darker brown of more resistant rocks. The contorted strata of different-coloured rock form whorls and waves of colour in the rock face, which the Nabataeans exploited in their architecture. From the official entrance to the site, a dusty trail leads gently downwards along the Wadi Musa (The Valley of Moses). Situated in small rock outcrops to the left and right of the path are some small Nabataean tombs, carved into the dry rock. Beyond these, walls of sandstone rise steeply on the left, and a narrow cleft reveals the entrance to the Siq, the principal route into Petra itself.
The best-known of the monuments at Petra, the Khazneh is also the first to greet the visitor arriving via the Siq. The facade, carved out from the sandstone cliff wall, is 40m high, and is remarkably well-preserved, probably because the confined space in which it was built has protected it somewhat from the effects of erosion. The name Khazneh, which means 'treasury' comes from the legend that it was used as a hiding place for treasure. In practice, it seems to have been something between a temple and a tomb, possibly both at once.
The other awesome monument is El-Deir or the Monastery which resembles the Khazneh but is larger, cruder and more eroded. The structure, similar to Khazneh, had been carved out of the rock face.
We managed to visit the important sites which include the Siq, Khazneh, the theatre, the various tombs (Urn tomb, Palace tomb), Colonnaded Street and finally the Monastery which lies at the peak of Petra within 6 hours, that is from 7.30 am – 1.30 pm. The toughest part was the climb to the peak of Petra to reach the monastery and it would not have been possible for me without my ride (a donkey) because I had not fully recovered from my bout of flu and coughs.
Made acquaintance with a Bedouin lady (the owner of the donkey) and her daughter, Fatma and shared tea that she boiled while we took a rest before proceeding our way downhill.
More pictures in the Album
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