Visiting Picture Perfect Petra

It was early afternoon in mid-April, but the weather was hot and humid and we were glad for the shade, as we walked the dusty one kilometer chasm (siq) leading us to the ancient rose-colored region of Jordon called Petra. I had wanted to visit this ancient site, dating from the late 7^th century B.C., for years…perhaps remembering it as the dramatic setting for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade!  Petra, the ancient city of the Nabateans, is one of the world’s most atmospheric ruins.  Here is what you need to know before visiting picture perfect Petra.

The gorge in the rugged mountains, opened by a great earthquake eons ago, obscures the breathtaking site which is revealed as we exit the canyon and enter a vast open area dominated by the monumental, intricately carved Treasury…and intricately carved is an understatement! These amazing settlers, the Nabataeans, carved elaborate columns, cornices, equestrian figures, deities and mythical characters…directly into the “living” sandstone.  This magnificence bursts into view after the darkness of the siq, and dazzles us with its beautiful rose-colored tones, lit by a brilliant sun.  And, although this façade and the hundreds of others, have stood for millennia, they are majestic and imposing; the lines clean-cut, the surfaces show absolutely no sign of stain or weathering.

Who were the Nabataeans?  A nomadic Arab group, settled here more than 2700 years ago, probably having wandered with their herds and found good water and protection from other wanderers, herdsmen and gatherers.  They settled in this area of about ten square kilometers and left the nomadic life. They engineered water works, channeling rainfall into cisterns and conduits; they cultivated what is now desert and grew olives, grapes and grain and raised livestock as well.  As in today’s world, this naturally defensible area embodied “location, location, location” as it became an important junction of the ancient trade routes:  caravans laden with silk, incense and spices from China and India, stopped here and paid duty and taxes…the Nabataeans became wealthy and built their city.  But they did not build by quarrying stone and erecting buildings, they built by carving their edifices directly into the sandstone mountain sides!

And this is what we travel here to see in the 21^st century…a land that once housed, at its height, perhaps 30,000 people; theaters, temples, granaries, tombs, royal residences; lavishly decorated, beautifully preserved.  A delight and wonderment to the modern eye.

As you walk around, you begin to wonder how and why does this antiquity even exist, when so much of man’s presence has been obliterated by the harsh elements of desert and time.  The answer is probably due to the fact that time had obscured the memory of man and the mountains have hidden his works, since the 16^thcentury this was “lost” territory, known to roaming nomads, but forgotten by “modern” men.   This treasure was discovered in 1812, by Johann Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer and orientalist who had heard of a “wondrous ancient city”, and disguised as a Muslim, traveled into what is now Jordan to investigate and write of this wonder.

Today’s travelers come from Amman, about 265 kms away.  Also, trips are available from Israel and overland from cruise ships, plying the Indian Ocean and Red Sea.  There are five star hotels and fine restaurants near the entrance to the siq.  The entrance fees may run about $30.00 for a day trip and must be paid in Jordanian dinars.  Horse carriages to and from the site are available, as are camel and donkey mounts for further exploration.  I’m glad I walked, despite the heat and dust, because the experience brought me such extraordinary views and an up-close experience (and the poor horses looked more tired, more hungry and more dusty than I.)

In summation, Petra is worth visiting, as is the startling desert scenery of Wadi Rum. Petra awaits and will stay with you forever. Browse Jordan tour packages and travel deals.

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