Jordan has an abundance of archaeological riches, ranging from Neolithic ruins to the Desert Castles of
Umayyad princes. The best known of these wonderful travel photography destinations is the city of
Petra. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Petra provides the intrepid travel photographer with a
wealth of photographic opportunities.
The Nabateans, an Arab tribe, made the city of Petra their capital city in 312 BC. Petra was located at the centre of 3 trade routes, including the spice trade, and the Nabateans became wealthy and powerful by taxing the caravans that wished to cross their territory, as well as by guiding the caravans through the desert. Petra grew and eventually came under Roman rule when the theatre and colonnade became the centre of the city. Petra continued to be influential until the rise of Islam when it was forgotten, except by the local Bedouin who didn’t wish outsiders to know about it. In 1812 a Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, became the first westerner to set eyes on the city since the last crusade and identified it as the lost city of Petra.
To reach Petra, walk out of Wadi Musa, an uninspiring little village with a number of large international hotels, down a dusty track towards a spectacular set of steep sandstone hills and there an entrance leads into “As-Siq”.
As-Siq narrows to as little as 3m and the walls rise as far up as 80m as the path winds it’s way for over 1 km to
the ancient Nabatean city of Petra. The gorge is made up of an infinite number of shades of sandstone that go from
pink to golden yellow and white to black, the colours change with every second as the sun moves through the sky. It
is here that we start to appreciate the work of the Nabateans who carved canals into the gorge to collect the little
rainwater that fell.
Suddenly the gorge opens up and Al-Khazneh or “The Treasury” comes into view, towering over 40m in height and 30m in width. It is the best known of Petra’s monuments and more so since it appeared in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. On seeing Al-Khazneh I must admit to standing awestruck for some time, it is an amazing human feat to have carved this elegant façade out of the rock so that it is a gentle pink in the morning and a burning gold in the afternoon.
However it is only the beginning of Petra, as from here on you have more than 700 tombs and temples to lose yourself
in. Sadly I only had the chance to enjoy but the first few.
The Royal tombs, Colonnade Street, Roman Theatre, the Great Temple, and the High Place of Sacrifice are some of the other highlights not to be missed. Some of the smaller tombs, such as the Silk Tomb with its infinite shades of red, are real treasures to be enjoyed as well.
A visit to El-Deir or “The Monastery” will take you to the largest monument in Petra and the one furthest from the gate, with a walk up some 850 steps. One of the local donkeys makes the journey significantly less tiring. The view is supposedly fantastic and the monument just as impressive as the Treasury (I didn’t have the time to make it this far).
Petra by Night is also worth a visit; the Siq and Al-Khazneh are illuminated with over 1500 candles creating an air of mystery, which is completed with local music filling the night sky.
The lesser Little Petra, which can be found 5km away, is an interesting visit, though probably best to see it before
its larger neighbour. It also has some wonderful temples as well as some smaller dwellings which seem to
have been home to the Nabateans. The ingenious systems for water collection can easily be appreciated.
The best time to visit Petra is in the springtime and you should allow 2 or 3 days to really have a chance to walk around the city.
Jordan has much more to offer than Petra, such as Wadi Rum, Jerash, the Dead Sea (the earth’s lowest point), the biblical sites of Mt Nebo, Bethania, Madaba, etc. and the Red Sea for those who enjoy diving. Amman has little to offer except a visit to the Roman theatre and a walk around the centre of town, where you will find the people friendly and helpful. A large number of Jordanians speak English, making it much easier to get around.
About the Author
More of Charlie’s work can be seen at
www.cpeel.com
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