مُغامرات المُغامِرُونَ (Adventures of the Adventurers): Petra

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Petra, famous for the 'Treasury' and its role in Indiana Jones. But there is so much more to Petra than one famous site. In fact, it is a sprawling site, hidden for centuries and a testament to the ingenuity of an ancient civilization. But before you read on, I encourage you to check out the famous scene one last time.

The awe that one feels when descending the narrow winding canyon, known as the Siq cannot be described. We were fortunate to arrive to our hotel on a night that was featuring Petra by Night, the two kilometer Siq is lit by candles in brown bags and the front of the treasury is light by hundreds of candles as well. As the attendees file through the canyon, they are met by the awe inspiring site of the treasury lit by candlelight.

The Treasury

The Nabateans were a nomadic bedouin society who were involved in trade throughout Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Upon discovering Wadi Musa, they left their nomadic ways and established a series of caravan way points, protected from marauders and with ample available water. The Nabateans charged a tax on all goods passing through, and as a result became extremely wealthy. The engineering eveident in the ruins of Petra speaks to the ingenuity of the society. As you descend the Siq, you see a channel, carved into the side of the canyon wall, winding its way into the center of the town. Designed to carry water from a dependable spring, it allowed the Nabateans to survive and thrive, protected by the remoteness of their location.

Petra was lost to Westerners until Swiss explorer Jean Louis Burckhard discovered it in 1812. What remains are over 800 tombs, facades and memorials. Mary, Anne and I did our level best to see what we could.

Donkeys Are Available for Those Too Tired to Walk

We walked for 5 hours, climbed to the High Place of Sacrafice and descended through the valley of butterflies, along the way we were amazed by the scale of what we saw. From across the valley floor we could make out hidden doorways, carved into solid rock. We saw cisterns carved into plateaus with water channels carrying the water to the building below.

Petra has been named one of the seven wonders of the world, and after visiting, it is easy to see why. After about 5 hours of treking, Mary and Anne headed back to the hotel, and I took a hike up to the Monastary, the largest and one of the most remote of the facades.

Anne Poking Her Head Through

The Monastary measures nearly 50 meters by 50 meters and is reached after climbing up about 800 stairs to one of the highest points in the site.

The Monastary (800 stairs later)

Although it is less decorative than the Treasury, the amount of work necessary to reach it makes it just as rewarding. As I walked the 8 KM out of Petra in the evening, I was fortunate to watch the canyon walls and the ruins change colors as the sun-set. It was an amazing experience.