Petra

The Rose City dates back to 300 BCE

Petra is very attractive because it is set deep inside a narrow desert gorge. It is located in the south-western part of Jordan, about 125 kms north of Aqaba and 230 kms south of Amman. Dating back to 300BCE, it was the capital of the Nabatean kingdom. The Nabatean’s were extremely skillful in rainwater harvesting and stone carvings, besides being excellent traders. Petra is called the ‘Rose city’ because of the color of the sandstone cliffs out of which it is carved. It was destroyed in an earthquake in the 4^thcentury CE and was unknown to the outside world for centuries before being discovered in the very early 19^thcentury CE.

Petra is impressive at first sight itself

Petra is accessed through a 1.2 km long narrow gorge called Siq the walls of which rise to ~80m. The Siq opens into Al Khazneh, the treasury, which is about 40m high. From then on, plenty of walking up and down reveals a number of tombs, theatre, colonnaded street, temple, monastery and what not. All the stand alone constructions are in ruins today.

Al-Khazneh, Petra, Jordan — The Siq, Petra, Jordan

There are shops selling souvenirs and artifacts but I avoided buying anything here. There is also a restaurant on site though it was crowded. The lunch buffet has vegetarian options but slightly expensive at over JOD 15.

Petra is huge to complete fully in a day

Petra can look very different when seen early in the morning or late in the afternoon/night. Overall, ~4-5 hours is good to go along the main trail for a general tourist but this does involve skipping a few climbs. At the minimum, the main trail is 8kms up and down from the visitor center. Going to the monastery would almost double this distance. Petra is huge and if you are a keen photographer or a keen historian, you will need lot more time-a full day and maybe couple of days.

Also remember that you are in the open most of the time.

The long walk after the Treasury, Petra, Jordan

Given the distance to be walked, it is best to rent horses or carriages. You can do rent it both the ways but a better option is to take it on the way back. I took a carriage on the way back and also used horses for short distances. You will have to bargain no doubt but look up the latest official rates first. The entry fee is JOD 50 but a 2 day or 3 day ticket costs only marginally more. The rates for guides, horses and carriages too is fixed. A carriage for two costs JOD 20 or JOD 40 for return trip to treasury and Museum respectively. Tickets can be bought at the visitor center. Thankfully, rest rooms are available for the visitors.

Petra is a UNESCO heritage site

Petra is UNESCO world heritage site and in 2007, it was named one of the new seven wonders of the world. Several scenes from the Hollywood movie, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, were shot here. It is widely believed that a great deal of this ancient city is still to be unearthed.