Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
Petra is considered the crown jewel of Jordan, the most visited site in the country. And for good reason. Petra is what drew me to Jordan initially as it has for so many others. I don’t remember how many years ago I came across a photo or an article on Petra and was absolutely fascinated. I mean, an entire city carved into rocks???? Really? And not just an entire city of caves and rough living spaces but a beautiful, expertly carved city. Columns and angels and flowers and everything carved into canyon walls long before any modern day tools were invented. Wow! Maybe it was the feature in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”, maybe not, but I am happy I stumbled across this place and that it took a spot on my list of places I wanted to visit.
Current day social media has distilled Petra down to the Treasury, pictured above. If you were to search #petra on Instagram most of what you would see is a similar photo to the one above from many different angles. But Petra is so, so much more. Petra is an experience. A full on, mind blowing experience. One that should be on every bucket list out there. This trip was full of emotional moments for our entire group. Moments that took our breath away and brought us to tears. Jordan has a way of doing that. Petra was my moment.
Petra is thought to be about 10,000-years old. It was built by the Nabatean Empire, made wealthy through trade on the Spice route. One can still imagine caravans walking the same route we did.
You start the journey at the visitor center. There is a modern museum (we did not have time to visit but I have heard great things), visitor information, and stalls of souvenirs run by the local Bdoul Bedouin tribe. From there, you walk for about a mile, all on a gently descending path, passing many tombs and monuments along the way. The most striking of these is the Obelisk Tomb, pictured above, with an oblelisk on top representing each one of the people buried there. It is thought that the lower level was a banquet hall where the families would gather every year to show respect and celebrate the lives of their loved ones.
Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
After strolling on the open road, you enter the siq, the word for canyon in Arabic. The siq is a natural split in the rock with walls soaring up to 200 feet on both sides. You get a sense of perspective from the photo above. The rocks are a gorgeous red color that changes depending on how the light hits them. They will be one color looking forward and a different color when you glance back. The walls are full of sculptures and niches where you can see the centuries of worldwide influence on the Nabatean culture. There is a small, unmarked remnant of the original gate still left. The ground is a mix of centuries old cobblestones and dirt path. Some places are very narrow, providing natural protection for the city from invading armies. It is such a cool experience to walk this path. You can imagine the long line of camels and human feet that walked these same cobblestones back when this was a center of trade.
You might read about the crazy carriages driven by the bedouins on this trail but rest assured they are gone. During the pandemic, they were replaced with golf carts who actually pay attention to the people walking.
There is such a sense of anticipation as you walk this route. You know something fabulous is up ahead but you simply can’t see it. Until you do …
Photo Credit : Beth Rowan
The first glimpse of the Treasury took my breath away. A friend captured my face in a photo that was posted to social media. This was one of those moments for me. Partly expectation, partly overwhelm, this was quite the emotional experience for me. It was more beautiful than anything I could have imagined. Though I am not happy that social media has distilled Petra down to the Treasury, I do understand the reasoning. It is overwhelmingly stunning in its beauty and craftsmanship.
Historians believe the Treasury was one of the last buildings created in Petra because of the advanced techniques used. But no one really knows what it was built for. A tomb? A Place to keep papers and records? That history is lost to us. The Bedouins believed it was built to hold the King’s treasure. When it was excavated and no treasure was found, they proceeded to shoot bullets at a statue of a woman on it’s exterior. If you look closely, you can see the many pockmarks to attest to the tale.
You can not go inside the Treasury. To preserve the building, no one is allowed to enter. I did not need to. I just wanted to sit and stare for hours. No movie can ever capture the true beauty of this structure.
The scene in front of the Treasury is a little crazy at moments. There are stalls selling refreshments and souvenirs, Bedouins with camels hawking rides, and others trying to get you to climb to the top of the rock opposite. We declined as the trip is longer than they promise, rather dangerous in spots, and entirely illegal. Though the photos are all over Instagram from that spot, we considered it disrespectful to climb an illegal path for a social media post.
Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
From the Treasury, there is loads more to explore. You pass through the Street of Facades, featuring what looks like tall buildings all in a row. From there, there are a series of many tombs on all sides, some of which you can enter. Along the way, you will see more stalls with some local craftsmanship on display. We chatted with several and even had our eyes done up in traditional Bedouin kohl eyeliner by a gentleman referred to as Captain Jack. The rocks are amazing in the striations and color. And, of course, there are the camels and donkeys all along the way, just waiting for you to hop on.
Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
This photo above perfectly captures some of what is seen all over Petra, formed by shifting sands and water. This formation reminds me of a huge oyster shell made of rock. This was one of my favorites.
All along the wide path are trails shooting off in all directions, enticing you to explore some of the lesser know parts of Petra. If this is on your agenda, I highly recommend hiring a local guide to help. They know the best and safest trails all over Petra.
Photo Credit : Beth Rowan
Another highlight as you wind your way through Petra is the King’s Tomb, sometimes referred to as the Royal Tomb. This is one of the easier offshoots to get to. It is a long series of steps up but you are rewarded with a very cool place to really explore the inside of a structure in the city.
Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
There is so much more to explore of Petra. The forum is an 8500-seat amphitheater that is still amazingly intact. A half hour hike up beyond the forum is the Monastery. I did not personally hike up but the photos that friends brought back made me wish I had. And so, so much more.
We only spent a day at Petra but I would really encourage anyone to spend a minimum of 2-3 days. It is fascinating and like nothing else you will see in the world.
Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
There are some moments in your life when you look to the skies and ask the Universe how you got to be such an insanely lucky human. My first moments in Little Petra were just such a moment.
Our host, and my partner in Jordan and dear friend, surprised us with the most amazing evening in Little Petra. We knew we were having a special dinner that night but, never in our wildest imagination, did we anticipate how utterly beautiful and special the evening would be.
Just a quick background – Little Petra is the lesser know area that was built by the same Nabatean Empire around the same time. Not as heavily visited as Petra, it is smaller, more intimate feeling, and much more accessible to explore. And we had it to ourselves for an entire evening.
We arrived after dark. We were led down a beautiful carpeted path lit only by candles. There was a wall of rugs hung to shield our eyes from the surprise. When Sameer, who was like a little boy in his excitement, parted the rugs, we were greeted with a beautiful light show against the structures and rock walls and music playing. The entire area of sand was covered in beautiful carpets and tables were set up for dinner. The chef already had the coals hot on the grills and the servers were smiling and greeting us warmly.
Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
Dinner was plate after plate of delicious traditional Jordanian food, eaten in this magical place underneath a blanket of stars. We toasted many a glass of wine and waded through the myriad of courses that keep arriving at our table. All while enjoying laughter and lively conversation with our group.
Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
Feeling transported to a different time and place, we enjoyed our dinner longer than we probably should have. I mean, can you imagine that backdrop for your next dinner party? Words simply can not describe.
Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
After dinner, there was much music and dancing and wine. Under the stars. The Bedouin camps were able to hear strains of MC Hammer, Sweet Home Alabama, and so may others. The group treated the staff to their own fully enacted version of “So Long, Farewell” from “The Sound of Music” as a finale!
So much fun was had by all, we were told the next day that ALL of Petra knew we had had a good time! And our celebrity status in Jordan was born. Hahaha!
Photo Credit : Zeina Kassem
To my industry travel partner in Jordan and dear friend, Sameer, I would just like to say thank you. You gave us all an evening of a lifetime. Truly, one of the most magical evenings any of us have experienced. Our gratefulness and the memories will live long into the future.
Photo Credit : Beth Rowan
We did visit Little Petra the next day. As I said before, it is much smaller yet feels more welcoming. We spent a lovely morning exploring the rooms and climbing the stairs and hearing more stories from the Bedouins about our evening the night before. Little Petra is less visited so not quite as chaotic as parts of Petra are. I highly recommend a brief visit on your journey through The Magical Kingdom of Jordan. I think we can all admit, though, lit up under the stars is so much more magical!
Watch for the next post on Wadi Rum, Wadi Mujib and the Siq Trail, and the Dead Sea.
© Beth Rowan https://www.tapestry-travel.com/blog/the-magical-kingdom-of-jordan-part-3
