The Wonder Of Petra

All of the photos in the world can’t prepare you for the wonder that is Petra.  This “rose city half as old as time” truly has to be seen to be believed!

I arrived in Jordan and, after a couple of hours of aggravation (which I won’t go into), I finally hit the road in my rental car.  After losing my way a few times, I got on the right track and made my way to Wadi Musa which is the small town on the outskirts of Petra.  It was late afternoon but, having only 2 nights there, I bought a 2 day ticket and began exploring!

The entry ticket allows for 1 free horseback ride to the beginning of the Siq (the Shaft), a narrow gorge of soaring, rose-red sandstone walls stretching almost a mile long.  It is the main entrance into Petra and ends at Al Kahzneh (the Treasury).  I took advantage of the horseback ride and ended up getting a number of free rides both days in Petra…by horse, donkey, and horse drawn carriage.  I paid a very cheap price for a camel ride as well.

There is no other word but “awe” to describe the feeling on first sight of the Treasury!  It’s massive!  Of the more than 800 monuments in Petra, the Treasury is by far the most dramatic!  As you step out of the Siq, you are humbled by the sheer size and beauty of the façade, carved directly out of the rock face!  Even though it is called the Treasury, no one knows for sure what’s its function was.  The most common speculation is that it was a tomb or place of worship.  It was featured in the movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, among others.

Continuing on into the valley, there are so many tombs and monuments to see and explore!  I certainly can’t recall the names of all of them!  There are also trails to hike into and out of the valley (you need much more time than I had in order to do that, though!).  There is a Roman-style amphitheater, a Byzantine church, colonnaded streets, temples, and a killer amount of rock cut steps (800-900…I didn’t count them!) up to the Monastery (Ad Deir), the 2nd most impressive building of Petra. If you’re not up to climbing or descending by your own steam, you can pay to ride a donkey.  Beyond the Monastery, you can climb to viewpoints higher still.  There were souvenir stands here and there throughout Petra as well as Bedouins offering rides.

Needless to say, I could have wandered this amazing wonder of the world a few more days but I think 2 days was good!  I certainly got a workout!  It blows my mind that about 85% of this ancient Nabataean city is still untouched underground.

There were other towns and sights somewhat nearby that were recommended to me to visit but I wanted to make sure to get the car back on time so spent a little bit of time driving around Amman, Jordan’s capital, then made my way to the airport.  If you EVER get the opportunity, do yourself a favor and visit this “lost city”!