I was very much fascinated to learn that the Smithsonian Magazine describes Petra as “one of the 28 places to see before you die”. Since 1985, UNESCO has also described the site as “one of the most precious cultural properties of man’s cultural heritage”. So, I started gathering more information about Petra before visiting this “lost city of Petra”.
The road to Petra is very scenic. I arrived in Petra in the afternoon. After checking in at the hotel I headed straight to Petra as I could not wait to see it.
Ticket:
A single day ticket to Petra is 50 Jordanian Dinars which makes it the most expensive wonder to visit. I purchased a 2 day ticket for 55 Jordanian Dinars. Although the cost of the entrance ticket is high it is worth the cost. The entrance ticket includes a free horse ride through the Treasury building. The nomads with the horses expect you tip them well otherwise they do not let you down from the horses.
So it is recommended that you negotiate the tip in advance before you get on the horse. I decided to save myself from the hassle and skipped the free horse ride and walk. It turned out not a bad option at all. It was a quiet, serpentine, ribbon like road through rugged terrain with patches of green gleaming in bright sunlight.
Finally, I arrived at the entrance to the Siq canyon. Today, most of the visitors approach the site from the east.
Siq Canyon
An impressive eastern entrance leads steeply down through a dark narrow gorge. At places it is only about 10 to 13 feet wide. These were formed from deep splits in the sand stone rocks and used to serve as a water way flowing into Wadi Musa. Surrounded by mountains through the narrow passages I walked along the gorge, a long path flagged in limestone, with sky high rocky walls with ancient inscriptions written on either side. At the end of the narrow gorge I could see Petra’s most elaborate ruins.
The Treasury
It is an impressive monument, built possibly as early as 5thcentury B.C. It has been a UNESCO world Heritage Site in 1985. It is carved into the limestone cliff. While remaining remarkably in a preserved condition the face of the structure is riddled with hundreds of bullet holes. It was probably made by local Bedouin tribes who might have tried to remove the riches supposed to be hidden within it. The statues and inscriptions on its façade are stunning. It is incredible that the total structure had been carved out of only one monolithic stone.
Rock Houses
As can be seen in the pictures above, the walls are mostly carved out of red limestone. These limestones in certain areas mingle with white shell like stones and form some fascinating designs. A little further from the Treasury, at the foot of the mountain is a massive Roman Amphitheater positioned so as to bring the greatest number of tombs within view.
At the point where the valley opens out into the plain, I could see a massive theatre which has been cut into the hillside. Rectangular gaps in the seating are still visible. Almost enclosing it on three sides are rose coloured mountain walls devided into groups by deep fiissures and lined with knobs cut from the rocks in the form of towers. The walking route to “The Monastery“ passes in front of the Basin restaurant and museum, and leads dead ahead into the soft sandy bed of the Wadi ad-Dayr.
The steps begin after a short distance, and soon after there’s a diversion pointed left to the Lion Triclinium, a small classical shrine in a peaceful, bushy wadi, named for the worn lions that flank its entrance.
Transport:
The only transport available if you want to visit “The Monastery” at the top is a donkey if you prefer not to walk. The prices are negotiable but I would personally not recommend it as the sandstone steps are steep and slippery. There have been instances when people have fallen of the donkey and have been badly injured. I took the healthier and safer option of walking up to the top. It took approximately one hour.
The Monastery
The Monastery facade is so big that it seems like an optical illusion – the doorway alone is taller than a house. It looks a bit similar to “The Treasury” but the architecture is more simpler. It is possible to go inside the building. It was probably a temple, possibly dedicated to the Nabatean king Obodas I, which is probably why it is called as the Monastery.
Inside is a single chamber, with the same configuration of double staircases leading up to a cultic niche as in the Qasr al-Bint and the Temple of the Winged Lions. The opposite side has a scramble path leading up to the urn on the top of the facade. It is prohibited to climb up to the urn but you will most likely get to see some local kids climbing up there and leaping around once in a while.
There are dozens more monuments and carvings to explore around the Monastery, not least of which is a cave and stone circle directly behind the refreshments cave. At any point, once you climb off ground level, the views are breathtaking. The cliff to the north of the facade is punctuated for well over 100m with Nabatean caves, tombs and cisterns; some 200m or so north of the Monastery, you’ll find a dramatically isolated High Place, with godlike views over the peaks down to the far-distant Wadi Araba, over 1000m below.
The only route back into Petra from the Monastery is the way you came up. Like all these descents, it’s too rocky and isolated even to think about attempting it after sunset.
Movies:
There have been over 50 movies that have been shot on this amazing site. Some of the most popular movies include:
“Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)”
In the scene Harrison Ford is seen riding a horse in front of “The Treasury” and searching for his father (Sean Connery) who has gone missing.
“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”
Shia LaBeouf and the Megan Fox root out alien auto bots that were hiding inside “The Monastery”.
After a whole day of hectic hiking and site seeing I headed back to my hotel. I was physically exhausted but mentally fully charged and satisfied. I realised that Petra is a real wonder and its architectural beauty is breathtaking! I have visited all the 7 Wonders of the World and Petra is my favorite among all of them.