Amazing Petra

Although the Treasury building is the most well-known icon of the rose-red city of Petra --- a wonder of the ancient world established in the 6th century BC as the capital of the Nabataeans, and now a UNESCO world heritage site. It is the approach --- walking through the amazing gorge --- that was really special on this, our second visit to Petra.
Unknown to the western world until 1812, it is hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains. The colours of the rock defy description, and Petra was chosen by the BBC as one of "40 places you have to see before you die".
Especially beautiful are the rock formations, both large and small,
and the striations that make this desert location such an attraction for tourists, who readily pay the hefty $75 entrance fee.
In ancient and modern times, camels have transported innumerable inhabitants, as well as countless visitors, to this special place.
And today, the modern Bedouin soldiers stand guard over the Treasury, as did the Nabataeans in ancient days. The Nabataeans, a nomadic Arab people from north Arabia, began to settle in the Petra area from the late 7th century BC. They seem to have arrived gradually and integrated peacefully with the settled Edomites, who were, at that time, themselves in the process of migrating to a new homeland in southern Palestine.

We returned at night and walked through the 2km long gorge by candlelight. The hills looked white against the dark, velvety and moonless sky, with only a million trillion stars to illumine them.This was indeed a special birthday to remember for Allan.
But now that you have a taste of the scenery, let's start back at the growing city of modern Petra - so typical of Arab cities and towns, with their 2or 3 levels, flat-roofed houses - and take a leisurely walk towards the ancient city.
Horses are available for the short walk of about 500m to where the main gorge starts. For those who need assistance, they can travel the full length to the city of Petra in a horse drawn carriage, for a fee.
Muna approaching the 'Gate to the Gorge' or "Bab el-Siq", as it is known to the Bedouin inhabitants.The approach consists of monuments, distinctive towers tombs, and a rock-cut funerary complex. More than 800 individual monuments have been documented. They were no doubt attracted initially, as previous occupants had been, by the plentiful water supply and the natural defensive position of the land surrounded by mountains.
The Nabataeans' growing prosperity came from Petra's location at an important junction on the incense, spice and silk trade routes, which linked China, India and Southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.

As a caravan city, Petra provided a perfect stopping place with a plentiful supply of water, and became a vast city for exotic goods from all over the World. Its inhabitants grew wealthy by imposing taxes on goods which passed through the city and in return offered protection from marauding tribes. There is a certain irony in this, as no doubt in their earlier nomadic days, the Nabataeans themselves would have been caravan raiders!

The path follows the course of Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses) --- the meandering riverbed that led from Ain Musa (Spring of Moses) into Petra. The Bedouins believe that this is the spring that gushed forth when the rock was smote by Moses in biblical times. Tourist police are very helpful and ensure the safety of tourists.
Called the "Siq", the approach to Petra is a winding natural sandstone gorge, approximately 2km in length.
On either side of the walls are niches that held busts of the kings. A domestic water supply was also important, and an 82m rock-cut tunnel was constructed which directed water from Wadi Mudhlin to reservoirs and water cisterns inside and outside the city. This channel also collects water.
A few shrubs find sufficient water in a crevasse.
I don't know the geology of the region, apart from the layered sandstone structure, but the superimposed formations, which look like stalactites, are spectacular.


Known for the mulicoloured feature of its rocks, these are crushed to make "a picture in a bottle", typically a camel against the desert sands.
The Bedouins believe that this is the spring that gushed forth when the rock was smote by Moses in biblical times. Parts of the original paved road have been preserved as seen in this picture with Muna and a rare sight - greenery!


Keep going, even more spectacular shots follow.
In October, 1917, T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), as part of a general effort to divert Turkish military resources away from the British invasion of North Africa, led a small force of Syrians and Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula to defend Petra against a much larger combined force of Turks and Germans. The Bedouin women living in the vicinity of Petra and under the leadership of Sheik Khallil's wife, were recruited to fight in the defense of the city. The defenders were able to completely decimate the Turkish/German forces.




And then there is the first glimpse of the Treasury building - it literally takes your breath away.
The city was made even more famous as it was the location for part of the film Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade (1989).
In its day, Petra was a bustling city, welcoming travellers, visitors and pilgrims (but not the Romans!).
Some gigantic carved structures.
The Nabataeans spoke a dialect of Aramaic --- the language spoken by Christ, and wrote with a distinctive Nabataean calligraphy with fine brush strokes which were perhaps influenced by the soft sandstone of Petra on which it was often written.

Unfortunately, although various rock-carved inscriptions (usually marking the passage of a shepherd or invoking a god) have been found, not only in Petra but also throughout the Nabataean Kingdom, so far no archives have been discovered, as both the important trading and building activities of the Nabataeans would have required them.

Although Petra's amphitheater is Greco-Roman in design, it was indeed built by the Nabataeans, most likely in the first century AD. It was built by King Aretas IV, when Petra's urban character took shape and it seated 6,000 people.
The theatre is striking as it is hewn from rock in one piece.
Many of the dwellings are in the hills surrounding the main centre.
The houses of the Nabataeans were carved into the rock to avoid the flash floods that occurred from time to time.
They were small in stature - the roof is only a metre and a bit high in some.
It takes great imagination to see this structure within what was initially a cliff face.



We begin our walk back, tired but exhilarated - surely this is a highlight of all visits to Jordan.
Seats are welcome rest stops along the way.
Every mother's nightmare - a child who loves to climb to the highest peaks - this Bedouin child was hundreds of metres up.Even the local cat dropped by to say "hello"!
Allan rode a horse on the way back.From our hotel room, we see a panoramic vista of the surrounding hills.

A sunset to remember.
And then back again for the night walk.


Sorry about the number of photos, about 50 toooooo many, but I had much difficulty choosing.