Get Ready for Petra!

Petra is the main reason I decided to come to Jordan. In fact, Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is probably the reason most tourists visit the country. Like millions of others, I first encountered Petra many years ago in one of the Indiana Jones movies.  In recent months, I noticed a slew of magazine articles about the ancient city. In fact, Petra’s instantly recognizable Treasury was featured on the cover of Smithsonian magazine shortly before my trip. Even so, nothing prepared me for the overwhelming impact of seeing Petra in person. 

Leaving Amman for the long drive (approximately 250 kilometers, or 3-plus hours) south, we travelled parallel to the historic King’s Highway, an ancient route that connected the old Iron Age kingdoms of Jordan.  Recent rains and flash floods had closed the nearly 3000-year old highway, so our only option was Desert Highway, a faster and more modern road.  Along the way, Nad pointed out that we were passing through the land of Moab, mentioned in the Bible as the homeland of Ruth.  The rocky landscape soon gave way to fertile plains topped with reddish soil.  In earlier times, farmers cultivated wheat, barley and vegetables here.  Nowadays the land is covered mostly with olive trees and grape vines.  

Our base for exploring Petra was the town of Wadi Musa, located adjacent to the entrance to the ancient site. In fact, our hotel was a mere few minutes walk from the Visitors Center and its excellent museum.  Before I describe what I saw in Petra itself, I want to share a little of the background information that I learned.

This map showing Petra and the surrounding area was in the museum at the Visitors' Center.

Archaeologists aren’t sure exactly when the city we now call Petra was founded.  They think that around the 4^thcentury BCE, a nomadic tribe from the Arabian Peninsula settled in the area and established a small independent kingdom.  This group of people, the Nabataeans, became very wealthy through control of the incense trade (frankincense and myrrh being very important commodities in the ancient world).  They built their capital city in a strategic location, i.e. a valley that offered safety and protection.  Equally important, however, the site was where the incense route and the spice route intersected.  Caravans brought traders from different parts of the ancient world and made Petra a very cosmopolitan city.  In addition, Petra was able to thrive in this arid location because the Nabataeans had great skill in developing advanced water systems. 

The Nabataean kingdom reached its height from the 1^stcentury BCE through the 1^stcentury CE.  For all their wealth and expertise, the Nabataeans were not a significant military power.  In 106 CE, the Romans annexed the kingdom, and gave the name Petra (meaning “rock” in Greek) to the Nabataean capital city. Petra became part of the Byzantine empire in the early 4^thcentury.  Subsequently, several Christian churches and a monastery were built in the city.  However, around this time, a major earthquake and a shift in trade routes to coastal cities led to the Petra’s decline.  By the 7^thcentury, when the Muslims took control of the territory, Petra was nearly deserted. For several hundred years, few except the local Bedouins remembered the city’s existence.  All that changed when a Swiss explorer named Johann Burckhardt rediscovered ancient Petra in 1812. 

  

Now it’s time to get a look at Petra.  I must admit that we groaned when Nad told us to meet at the Visitors’ Center the following morning at 7am, but I’m glad he insisted that we get an early start.  The sun was barely up when we gathered outside the entrance, shivering in the chilly morning air.  We had prepared for the long and strenuous day ahead by stocking up on water bottles and stuffing our backpacks with fruit and cheese and rolls from the hotel’s bounteous breakfast buffet. 

  

Visitors to Petra today enter the city using the same route taken by visitors centuries ago.  You must first pass through the Siq, a natural sandstone gorge that is 1.2 kilometers in length.  Parts of the gorge are quite narrow, and traffic can back up quickly.  Most people pass through on foot, but we also had to contend with mules and horse drawn carriages that are available for those unable (or unwilling) to walk. Along either side of the rocky passageway, you can still see remains of channels and pipes that originally supplied the city with water.  Niches carved into the sides of the gorge once held statues that were thought to protect those entering and leaving the city.  

As you emerge from the Siq, you catch your first glimpse of Petra’s most famous building, the Treasury. In real life, it’s even better than in photos!  Just be careful not to trip over any of the bored-looking camels or the selfie-stick wielding tourists as you gawk up at the Treasury’s towering red-hued façade.  

Nad pointed out that the structure’s architectural features (columns, friezes, statuary, etc.) are recessed so that the rain doesn’t hit them.  This has contributed to their remarkable state of preservation.  He also explained that Petra is an example of a city built by subtraction, meaning that the characteristic structures were carved directly into the sandstone.  A close examination of the Treasury reveals the extent to which the Nabataeans were influenced by their Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman neighbors.  I kept that in mind throughout the day, as we walked through the sprawling city and noticed elements of many different architectural styles, often in a single building. 

Perhaps you already knew it, but I was surprised to learn that the Treasury is not where the Nabataeans minted their money.  (I had always assumed that it was a government agency, like the Treasury Department in Washington, D.C.) Actually, the name goes back to a Bedouin legend that a pharaoh had hidden a treasure in the urn carved at the top of the structure.  No treasure was ever found, and archaeologists believe that the real function of the building was to serve as a mausoleum for kings. 

The Treasury was just the beginning of Petra’s wonders.  Nad guided us past colonnaded streets, burial caves, a Roman amphitheater, and several impressive temples.  Speaking of religion, the Nabataeans were polytheistic and easily merged some of the Greek and Roman deities with their own gods and goddesses.  The oldest temple in the city is called Qasr al-Bint, or the Palace of the Pharaoh’s Daughter. A nearly square structure built in the Hellenistic style, it served as the city’s main temple. 

Roman amphitheater

Palace of the Pharaoh's Daughter

After a group lunch break, we set out to explore independently.  Some people chose to take the long hike (45 minute climb, 45 minute descent) to the monastery.  I decided to skip the monastery and take a shorter hike up to the Royal Tombs, located on a ridge overlooking the center of the city.  The path was steep but manageable, and there were great views when I reached the top.  Bedouin vendors were perched all along the route with their textiles, jewelry, and other souvenirs displayed under canopies.  I can’t imagine how they haul their wares up and down the path everyday.

Entrance to one of the Royal Tombs

The interior of the tomb, where ceremonies were held 

The view from the ridge where the Royal Tombs are located 

By the time I finished checking out the tombs, it was mid-afternoon and I felt my energy waning. I had spent the past eight hours trudging over rough terrain and I was thoroughly exhausted. Clearly, Petra was so big and overwhelming that it was impossible to see all of it in one day.  I walked back to the Treasury and took one last look before heading into the gorge. Several horse-drawn carriages passed me, ferrying those too tired to make the trip back under their own power.  

Since the Nabataeans grew grapes nearby and were big consumers of wine, it seemed appropriate to reward myself with a drink in the Cave Bar, not far from the Visitors Center. I settled into a cozy corner and slowly slipped a glass of Jordanian cabernet sauvignon made from grapes grown near Mount Nebo.  

My cozy nook in the Cave Bar

Relaxing in the Cave Bar 

It was already dusk when I made the short walk back to our hotel. Little did I know as I dragged my tired body up to my room that I would be carrying the fine red dust of Petra with me in my shoes and jeans for the remainder of the trip. In fact, if I give my shoes a good shake right now, I bet I’ll see a cloud of red.  

My favorite camel photo!