Petra - The Rose City Pt. 1

Today’s the big day, the highlight of the trip, one of the New7Wonders of the World, the ancient Nabataean city of Petra! Let’s go, let’s go, let’s gooooo!!!

After impatiently eating breakfast at 5:30, the group set off a half block down the road to the Petra visitors centre to secure our tickets and start the journey to the ancient Nabataean city carved into the rose sandstone of the gorge walls. 

Walking through the Siq - the narrow passage that leads to Petra - in the early morning light. It was gorge-geous.

There is evidence that the land has been used by indigenous peoples for more than 10,000 years. It’s unkown when Petra as the Nabataean capital was first founded, but it is estimated between 312 BC and the first century BC. It was established as a safe and secure hub for trade with Asia (as part of the Silk Road), as well as the Middle East and Mediterranean. 

According to our super awesome guide, there are two reasons that Petra thrived as a trade city. One reason is the governing forces of Petra permitted all religions to be practiced within the city and did not persecute those of differing faiths (as people like the Romans did outside the protective canyon walls). And another is their superior control over the water supply. Despite its location in an arrid desert mountain valley, the Nabataeans created a sophisticated aqueduct and dam system, making Petra an artificial oasis. The dams also helped to protect the trade city from the occasional devastating flash flood. Engineering is neat! But don’t tell engineers that. Those nerds are nerdy enough. 

The garbage can is probably not from the first century.

In 106 AD, Petra and the Nabataean civilization was annexed under Roman rule. An earthquake in 363 AD destroyed many buildings and severely damaged the water supply. The damage along with changed in major trade routes caused Petra to be largely abandoned. 

By the late 7th century, only the local Bedouins still retained knowledge of Petra or used the land - dwelling in caves and tents on the ancient city grounds. It wasn’t rediscovered for the world until explorer Johannes Burckhardt set out to find the lost city in 1812. He allegedly disguised himself as an Arab and convinced a Bedouin guide to take him to the city. Although, I question the efficacy of a Swiss explorer’s Arab disguise... 

One of the first sites observed when entering the UNESCO World Heritage Site are large cubes carved from 50BC to 50 AD called Djinn blocks, so called as the Bedouin believed the cubes housed spirits called djinn (genies). They were most likely actually tombs, so ghosts instead of djinn.

Lynn the Djinn

A little ways onward was a more elaborate tomb showing Egyptian influence in the form of four large obelisks on the facade.

Progressing through the siq, we were soon eclipsed by the height of the walls which are up to 80 metres in some passages. Along the way, there are many important carvings remaining on the walls and alcoves. 

The belly and feet of a camel in a caravan. 

Camel toe *snicker*

Rounding a non-descript corner and allowing our eyes to adjust to the light, the treasury appeared through a gap in the walls. The treasury itself is not actually a treasury - it was a tomb carved around the first century AD. It got the name, Al-Khazneh in Arabic, due to a rumour that raiders had hidden treasure in the monument. There are bullet holes from rifles riddling the facade of the building held to be from people shooting at the monument in hopes of freeing perceived concealed treasure.

There are Hellenistic, Roman, Egyptian and Arab features to the building including eagles to carry away the soul, Amazons dancing, gods of the underworld, and circles/orbs representing the sun. 

There are also camels. I befriended one, but he got a little fresh with me. Sloppy camel kisses yuck!

Walking up close to the columns and looking down, you can see the ongoing excavation of Al-Khazneh. Turns out, the structure extends about nine metres below the sand. The base of many of the buildings was lost under flood debris and rubble from the major earthquakes.

Waking up early paid off as we were able to get some nice group shots before the onslaught of other tourists arrived.

It did not stop the photobombing though.

Now, I went right on ahead and assumed that Al-Khazneh was the majority of what made up Petra. Welp, that’s not at all the case (just had to make an ass out of u and me). 

No offence to asses.

Rounding the corner from the treasury were wall to wall tombs carved into every mountain side. In fact, there are more than 600 archaeological sites in 264 kilometres squared. And only approximately 20 per cent of the sites have been uncovered - new findings as early as last year show massive structures under the sand still to be excavated and studied. There are active excavations underway, but they’re generally conducted when Petra is closed in the winter around January and February in order to allow for tourists to experience the site uninterrupted. 

Taking a tea and pee break at one of the many cafes and shops dotting the paths through the park, we saw a quick sand bottle demonstration. Using coloured sand and a pointed pick, the artist can draw incredibly detailed designs and seal it away in the glass jar. 

Hearing a chirping in the distance, I spotted these White-spectacled Bulbuls up on the mountainside. Bird!

Moving along to another form of sand painting, we came to a cave showcasing an extraordinary example of the multitude of colourful rock veins found in the mountains. Clambering up, wee were greeted with a kaleidoscope of colours and patterns on every surface.

Before heading up and around the bend to check out the Royal Tombs, we learned about the ancient (and current) myrrh and frankincense trade from a local merchant.

I retained none of the information both because I’m super allergic to musk and was sneezing in perpetuity like a cat with hay fever and also I heard quite a clopping thunderous sound. Looking behind me, I noticed four horsemen. Well, donkeymen I guess so no apocalypse.

And also was distracted by this medium sized, unidentified bird. Bird!

Rounding the corner from the merchant's shop, the Royal Tombs appeared before us. Carved between 60 AD and 50 BC, they’re thought to be the tombs of royalty or nobility because of their prominent location overlooking the centre of Petra. The Palace tomb on the far left is the largest and most elaborate of the rock-cut monuments in Petra.

The flat area in front of the tombs would have been gardens as the Nabataean used gardens to separate the living from the dead, even carving waterfalls into the rock face for beatification and irrigation. We clamoured up the hill side to the second level of the Palace for a peek inside and a view of the valley.

The walls inside the tomb had again incredible and psychedelic patterns in the natural rock.

At the top balcony of the tomb, we were swiftly met with some high pressure sales tactics.

This guy had several hilarious sales pitches that sadly, only converted to laughter and not sales for him.

These kittens were hard to refuse. 

But not as hard a sale as this cheeky little girl.

Heading part of the way back down the hill, we turned on the path that serpentined up the mountainside to reach the spot of famed aerial views of the treasury. This marked about the halfway point of our day of exploration. It would be roughly 24 km of walking and hiking when all is said and done (28 with a return for Petra by night). I wonder if I could hitch a ride...

Petra continued in the next post!