Day 113: Petra, Jordan

Petra is the most famous of all Jordan's sites, and is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the world.  And for good reason.

The entrance to the rock-hewn city of Petra is through a narrow, dark gorge known as the Siq.  By itself, this is a worthy tourist site, a deep ravine in the mountains that becomes so narrow in parts it's almost possible to touch both sides of the canyon at the same time.  The Siq winds on for hundreds of metres before, dramatically, opening into a partial view of Petra's most famous building- the Treasury (also known to some as 'that Indiana Jones one').

The Treasury may be the most famous part of Petra, but there is so much more, and it all defies belief.  The rockface is a magnificent rose colour, contrasting against the dry yellow and beige of the desert floor. At some points there are natural caves and archways which burst into a multi-coloured spray that is so intense, so bright, that you think it's been painted.

There are crowds of people everywhere, matched almost one for one by hopeful Bedouin merchants offering everything from overpriced drinks to scarves, jewellery, pieces of rock and donkey or camel rides.  The main thoroughfares have the feeling of a carnival, hordes of tourists and touts with constant stalls along the way.

Then there is the most amazing thing of all- how a 6th century B.C civilization managed to construct such an impressive series of buildings.  The Nabateans were the masterminds behind Petra, and they manged it without the skills, training and equipment of the Romans.  An entire city complex of temples, civic buildings, theatres and cemeteries, all carved from the face of a canyon in the middle of a harsh desert.  It's amazing that the city even exists at all, as the low lying canyon is prone to flash floods, but the Nabateans were able to control the water supply through aqueducts and cisterns which still survive.

 

Beyond the main tourist traps in and around the Treasury, Petra opens out into a massive plain, flanked by massive, imposing mountains.  Of course, there is no such thing as restricted areas, so you are free to wander up and into the mountains to discover more wonders- a mountaintop monastery, a sacrificial altar overlooking the city.  It takes the best part of 8 hours walking and climbing to appreciate Petra, and that's just beginning to scratch the surface.