Marguerite van Geldermalsen’s life reads like the plot of a remarkable travel memoir: a young nurse from New Zealand who visited Petra in 1978 and chose to make her home among the Bdoul Bedouin. Her story—told in Married to a Bedouin—is both a love story and a cultural record of a way of life that has since transformed.
Originally from New Zealand, Marguerite trained as a registered nurse before embarking on a backpacking trip across the Middle East. In 1978, she visited Petra—then still home to a vibrant Bedouin community—and met Mohammad Abdallah Othman, a souvenir seller. Their meeting led to marriage, and she moved into a 2,000-year-old Nabataean cave.
Life in Petra’s caves was both challenging and deeply connected to nature. Marguerite describes learning Arabic, baking bread over open fires, fetching water by donkey, and running a small clinic for locals. The Bdoul community’s way of life at that time was closely tied to the rhythms of Petra’s ancient landscape.
In the mid-1980s, Jordanian authorities relocated Petra’s Bedouin families to the nearby village of Umm Sayhoon to protect the archaeological site. While the move preserved Petra’s monuments, it also altered the Bdoul’s way of life. Marguerite documents this bittersweet change in her memoir.
Marguerite and Mohammad raised children together until his passing in the early 2000s. She later balanced life between Jordan and Australia, eventually returning to Petra to help run a jewelry stall. She remains a living connection to Petra’s recent history, sharing her story with visitors.
Published internationally, Married to a Bedouin captures the humor, challenges, and beauty of her life in Petra. It offers an intimate perspective on a culture and community that has since changed dramatically.
Cultural Preservation: Offers rare insight into Petra’s living history.
Tourism & Heritage: Highlights the balance between conservation and community.
Human Story: Reminds visitors that Petra is not only an ancient monument but also a place with living roots.
