It wouldn’t be right to travel to Jordan and not visit Petra. Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1985, and is probably one of the most impressive archeological sites I’ve ever seen. The photos included could never capture the magic of the Rose-Red City.
Brief History
Around 300-100BC, Petra was a Nabataean trade route for spices, textiles, and incense. Merchants had established a rich and powerful centre of commerce. Eventually, due to a number of reasons–earthquakes, annexation by Rome, trade decline etc., the area was abandoned around 1300AD. It was “rediscovered” in 1812 by a Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt.
The Siq
Once through the ticket gate at the Visitor Centre, there is a bit of a walk (maybe 700m?) on the Bab el-Siq to reach the actual start of The Siq. The further 2km walk along this cavernous pathway is an unbelievably beautiful prelude to the Treasury. Visitors have the option of riding a donkey, or taking a horse-drawn buggy, but that would steal so much from the experience. The Siq is full of details.
First Glimpse
And, all of a sudden, after gawking at the walls of The Siq, there is an end, and this is what is peaking through the narrow crack. Absolutely stunning!
The Treasury – Al-Khazneh
Petra’s crown jewel is definitely The Treasury. If you’re looking for an in-depth dissection of all of the Hellenistic features on the façade of this building, you’ve come to the wrong place! (Although it is interesting info, information, you can find it on google yourself.)
What you see is not even the full height of the structure. There is a lower level below a grate to the left of the seated people. The exterior is so intricately detailed and ornamented, that it is still impressive after thousands of years of erosion. FYI: The urn at the top is riddled with bullet holes thanks to Bedouin treasure seekers who believed the it was full of the Pharaoh’s gold.
The Monastery – Ad Deir
Our ultimate goal for Day 1 was to make it to The Monastery – Ad Deir. If you take a look at the map, that is a lot of ground to cover, with plenty of structures to explore along the route. Here are some of the stops we took along the way:
Walking the path to The Monastery is supposed to take about an hour. THAT IS A LIE! It takes way longer. It is a pretty fantastical pathway with alternating sand and stone portions, along with more than 800 rock-cut steps. Depending on the time of day, the sun may or may not be roasting portions of the pathway. At points it is really narrow which makes for dodging the donkeys a little harrowing. The walk was a little more than I had bargained for in the heat, but it was worth the effort.
The High Place of Sacrifice
On our second day in Petra, we noticed even more details while walking through the Siq. It really is amazing. Beyond looking at some of the ruins we had already seen, Jon wanted to walk to the High Place of Sacrifice. The High Place is at the top of Jebel Attuf mountain, which is about a 1000m climb. Our guide book said, “The ascent, while gradual, requires stamina and a good head for heights, and is best attempted in the early morning.” Thanks for the tip Eyewitness.
If I had known what was at the top, for the amount of time/effort spent getting to the High Place of Sacrifice, I would NOT have bothered, and would have spent my time better exploring elsewhere in Petra.
Being able to experience Petra was definitely a highlight of our Middle East adventures. This is an ancient city like no other, and easily deserves the designation of one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Cross one more off the list…
Be sure to stay tuned for our Wadi Rum experience of camping with the Bedouin!
~j