Petra

Petra is a city to be seen. It in ancient, around the time that Jesus of Nazareth walked about on this earth, and it had to be an impressive city.

It is a city only recently discovered - around 1914 and it was nestled into a rocky walkway that must have been easy to defend against potential threats. The entrance to the Siq once had an archway that communicated you were entering into a stately area. Large cobblestones line the Siq that provide cool shade and a viable aqueduct to keep the inhabitants clean, full of clean water, and with irrigation for crops.

The Treasury building is the first ruin of a building you see. It is the image that advertises Petra and it is worth seeing. A good number of people will travel only to see this sight and not venture into the city center. They don't realize how much they lose out. 

Lots of activities are centered near the Treasury. Camel, donkey, and carriage rides are available. Side trips to see the locations of Indiana Jones, and side hikes are accessible. Music is often performed. During "Petra at Night", the Siq is illuminated by luminaries and when you reach the Treasury, the place is brightly lit because of the large presence of these candles. Tea is served and Arabic music is played.

The only annoying part was the incessant harassment of the Bedouins who would not take yes or no for an answer. I hope the park service does something about them. You just can't let them get to you to destroy your enjoyment of the place.

I enjoyed the trek to the City Center where the whole village opened up before our eyes. Tombs and burial caves, plus dwellings, a high place reserved for ritual sacrifices, the market area, caves of distinguished clans, and an amphitheater that housed 7,000 people showed the attention to civic details. We climbed to see the caves and looked in every nook and cranny.

My guest decided he had seen enough and wanted to head back, but I persuaded him to circle around towards the tent and the village below. I'm glad we went. We saw a 2nd to 5th century church with well preserved mosaics. This was the highlight of my visit. From the church you could look at the Temple and see an elaborate worship space, event the place for the holy of holies. All the stuff in the Bible came to life. The biblical world had many different temples in it. You can see how there were competing gods and the primacy of the Temple in Jerusalem.

In the valley below, Crowne Plaza set up a nice restaurant for people to get refreshments before they trekked to the monastery. The walk would take an hour; a donkey ride would be half an hour. We saw the monastery but chose not to get closer this time around. I'll save something for a return trip. The road system there was impressive. I would have liked to seen this vast city in its glory. I'm sure it was a force with which to reckon.

I met many interesting people along the way. I wish the natives wouldn't be so assertive. It would have been nice to talk with them and learn about their lifestyle, but they only wanted to sell their rides. I saw one young man beat his braying donkey; another man captures a falcon and was proudly displaying it and trying to sell it; very young children were sent to tourists to get them to buy worthless artifacts; children played street games, but there was no evidence that they had a school to attend.

However, the city left a powerful impression on me and I'm told there is much more to excavate. I wish Jordan much success in reclaiming this valuable piece of history. May it be restored to glory.

To see photos of our trip, click on the link below:

1. Pics of the Entrance.

2. Pics of the Siq to the Treasury.

3. Pics of the Treasury.

4. Pics of  Camels.

5. Pics of the City Center.

6. Pics of the Early Church.

3. Pics of Miscellany Final Scenes.