Our personal guide for our visit to Petra today is a local gentleman called Abdul. History of Petra is as follows……….Petra originally known as Raqmu, is a historical and archaeological city in southern Jordan. Petra lies on the slope of Jabal Al-Madbah in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah valley that run from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra is believed to have been settled as early as 9,000 BC, and it was possibly established in the 4th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataean Kingdom. The Nabataeans were nomadic Arabs who invested in Petra’s proximity to the trade routes by establishing it as a major regional trading hubVisiting the ancient site of Petra involves quite a lot of walking, some of it uphill during reasonably hot times of the day. For those people who prefer a more leisurely and more comfortable visit to the site, horse drawn carriages, donkeys, horses and camels are other means of transport both to and at the ancient siteTo make the most of the coolest part of the day we depart on foot at 7 amQuite a few other tour groups have also decided on an early start this morningAs we follow the road that leads us to the entrance of the ancient site of Petra, we pass numerous large carved square rocks called Djinn Blocks
The Obelisk Tomb situated on the left as we continue our walk towards Petra was believed to be built with an Egyptian influence. There is an inscription near the tomb written that the tomb belonged to a nobleman and his offspringA dam was built close to the Al-Siq by the Nabataeans, who were a nomadic tribe that eventually settled in southern Jordan. They also built a tunnel 88 m in length here which was carved into the rock to bypass floodwater. The Nabataeans were known to be very talented masters in hydological engineering around 2000 years agoWe arrive at the entrance to the Al-Siq, which is the well known natural quite narrow passage which meanders through massive rock walls that eventually leads one to the ancient city of Petra with it’s many amazing structures and long historyOur walk through Al-Siq first heads downwards which will eventually lead us to the temples and other sites of PetraMillions of years of water erosion has created this amazing passageway through the tall rock cliffsWalking through the Al-Siq one feels dwarfed by the sheer enormity of the surrounding cliffsAbdul our guide was keen to show us his photography skills……..not a bad photos of us!!!The remains of a camel and its handler can clearly be seen carved into rock in the Al-SiqIn ancient times, channels were cleverly carved into the stone walls on either side of the rock walls in order to channel the water to where it can be stored
We follow the 1.2 km long passageway which resulted from a natural splitting of the mountainA relaxed and less strenuous way of seeing the comprehensive sites of PetraOur first glimpse of the famous structure called the ‘Treasury’ looking ahead through the narrow gap in the rockThe morning sun slowly starts filtering through and falling on to Petra’s most magnificent facade, the Treasury, or also known as Al KhaznaCamels wait patiently for their customers by the open area by the TreasuryThe Treasury is almost 40 m high and is intricately decorated with Corinthian capitals, friezes, figures and more….The Treasury is crowned by a funerary urn which according to the local legend conceals a pharaoh’s treasureWe are led to believe the Treasury was constructed in the 1st Century AD
Donkeys are another alternative means of transport around the ancient siteThere is no shortage of shops conveniently positioned along the sidewalk in PetraThe Street of Facades in the distantWe continue on our sightseeing tour passing the amazing rock carved Theatre which was excavated into the side of a mountain at the foot of the High Place of Sacrifice. The Theatre which holds 4000 spectators consists of three rows of seats separated by passageways. It also is the only theatre in the world carved into rock
A young entrepreneur selling colourful rocks !!!Spices, Frankincense and Myrrh are also available nearby by the young man’s FatherNext we visit one of the many cave houses of the area. These houses have been carved into the side of the mountain and have an opening for an entrance, windows and even a porch area out in frontIt is believed a New Zealand nurse named Marguerite van Geldermalsen who met and married a handsome Bedouin man, may have lived in this cave for many years (she actually has written a book about her life called ‘Married to a Bedouin’)The colours of the rock ceilings are quite spectacular in most of the cave housesThe Great Temple Complex represents one of the major archaeological and architectural monuments of central Petra which is estimated to cover an area of 7000 sq m……..in the foreground is a water channel constructed to carry the flood waters to tanks to be stored for later useOur next excursion is by donkey going 1.5 kms uphill to the Ad-Deir, or the MonasteryIt is a steep climb in the heat of the day, however if it hadn’t been for an unfortunate bout of food disagreement on my part, we would have liked the exercise by going by foot
The challenge by donkey is not for the faint heartedRic is relieved to have his feet firmly on the ground again!!Finally we arrive at Ad Deir, the Monastery, which is one of the largest monuments in Petra measuring 47 m wide and 48.3 m high. The interior is occupied by two side benches and an alter against the rear wall. The space was originally used for meetings of religious associations and then later as a Christian chapel which is how the structure got it’s nameOpposite the stunning site is a cafe with plenty of shade where we sat back and relaxed with some cool drinks admiring the incredible view of the early 2nd Century AD MonasteryOnce it was time to go back down, Ric chose to walk and take photos rather than go by donkey
It was certainly much more stressful going down than going uphill
After this photo was taken the donkey decided it was a race to the bottom of the hill……fortunately my donkey has done the trip many times before and luckily I managed to hold on!!!Once safely back on level land, it was decided the donkey experience would not to be repeated too soon!!!!Maybe camels next time……On foot we head back along Colonnaded Street passing the Nymphaeum which was a semi-circular public fountain decorated with columns and in ancient times received water from a tank located on the opposite side of the valley. It is now shaded by a wild pistachio tree that is 450 years old and is another popular souvenir outletLooking up the hill to the magnificent facades of the Royal Tombs, from the right is the well preserved Urn Tomb which has a deep courtyard with colonnades on two sides and three niches that open into small burial chambers and to the left are the other three tombs. The Silk Tomb, with it’s remarkable different coloured rock swirls, then the Corinthian Tomb, although severely eroded looks similar to the Treasury and lastly on the left, the Palace Tomb which has a grandiose five story facade
Looking up to the tall Urn Tomb in the centreSouvenirs, books other paraphernalia are available for sale beside all the sites at PetraStanding by of the Royal Facades makes one realise how enormous the task was constructing these incredible structures here at PetraAgain we pass the cave houses……and the Street of Facades which are a row of monumental Nabataean tombs carved into the cliff faceWe arrive back at the Treasury with it’s magnificent facade and glowing red colour in the afternoon lightWe make our way back through the narrow gorge of the Al-SiqThe afternoon light certainly highlights the rich red colours of the gorge
After a very long day of sightseeing and quite hot conditions, we decided to have a leisurely horse ride for the last section of road back to the hotel
Once back at our hotel we head for a cool drink in the Cave BarA gin and tonic was perfect…….From the patio in front of our room, we look out over the town and down towards the entrance of the hotelThis evening we decide to dine in the hotel restaurant which only has a smorgasbord on offer in the eveningsWe start with a few local nibbles with our wineFollowed by a nice light salad………perfect after a couple of days without much food due to my stomach upset in Amman (probably was the sushi!!!!)
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