Visit Petra - Jordan

It's in there somewhere Petra

Ever since I was a kid I have wanted to go to Petra. 

The first time I ever saw Petra

I became enthralled by Petra after seeing it in the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1990! 


I remember thinking;
"I'm going to go there one day when I'm a proper grown up". 


It may have took some 22 years, but I finally made it to Petra and boy was it worth the wait. 


Petra is located in the south west of Jordan about 2.5 hours drive from Aqaba where we were staying. We got a taxi which is the commonest way to reach this ancient city, the round trip costing about $100. 

Map of Petra

Entrance to Petra cost 90 JD approx $125 per person which sounds like a lot of money. 


However, when you experience the glory of Petra for yourself you realise it's actually cheap! 


Petra is a true wonder of the world, so don't mind paying $125, I feel better knowing that some of the  fee goes towards preservation and protection of this historic site.  


I also didn't expect it to be so vast, it's a proper city and to walk and hike around the complete remains is a 12km round trip. 

You can even hire a horse and gallop around the way Harrison Ford did in the movie. 

One of the few occasions
I wore a suitable outfit

To savour our visit we opted to walk, spending the best part of a day, around 6 hours there. Admittedly we took our time,but you could do it in 3 hours if you go on horse, camel or donkey. 


But really why rush a wonder of the world?!!

Make sure you dress for action and stay hydrated. For hiking in the baking heat, you absolutely need proper walking shoes/trainers, sun cream and a hat or head scarf. 


Avoid flip flops, sandals as they will fall apart and short skirts or shorts are just not practical. Top tip is layering as you can go from hot to cold quite quickly.

To reach the main city first you have a 2km meander deep into the cannons, which is a beautiful and tranquil journey itself. 

However, nothing quite prepares you for the breath taking first glimpse of The infamous Treasury from behind a deep gash in the canon. 

Sometimes places you dream about visiting turn out to be disappointing, because they don't live up to your expectations. 

Petra is most certainly NOT one of those places. 

A much needed rest

Channelling Indiana Jones 

On the contrary if anything I wasn't prepared for just how majestic and breathtaking it actually is.

Carved out into the rock face are cave dwellings, which until very recently were still inhabited by Bedouin and you know what I can think of worse places to live. 


My student flat in Streatham for example was far less luxurious and certainly didn't have the amazing view!

This would be your living room window

Petra has a rich and fascinating history.

Established around the 6th centuray BC by the Nabataens  
with a population of around 20,000, made it quite a metropolis in those times.


It was an extremely important ancient city for trading in the region and is sited in all major ancient civilisations Egyptian, Greek, Roman. 

Fascinatingly, at the height of Petra's success the climate was different to today. 

More rain so the land would have been a little greener and more fertile, making agriculture possible and food stuffs available. 

Indeed, Petra must have been a thoroughly modern city in it's day, which is reflected by the lavishly decorated buildings.  

Some of the lesser sandstone structures are heavily eroded and sun damaged. 

A schlep up hill to the old temple/church ruins reveal amazingly preserved intricate mosaics, of animals, people, even some saucy mosaic nudity! 

The trek further up hill to The Monastery is not for the faint hearted, it's quite a climb but you're rewarded with spectacular panoramic views.  

          

One annoyance is all the sellers bugging you to buy jewellery and postcards. Totally understand people need to make living and exploit Petra's tourist revenues. 

However, it's the sheer volume of hassle you get, little kids, like toddlers chasing you. 

Don't make the mistake of thinking they're kids being friendly either, they're not they want your money. 

Petra's growth was also due to it's location. Being hidden deep in the canons mean't it was less vulnerable to attack.

Throughout the city ran miles of ingenious small canals that collected rain to supply the city with fresh water and sanitation.

It is alleged that Petra was abandoned due to a combination of massive flash floods and an earth quake in 363 that destroyed this vital water system.

What a wonderful day we had at Petra. I was totally captivated, that night I had magical dreams that whisked be back in time to the days that Petra was a great bustling, vibrant Rose City. 

In my dream, I sat in a cool spot under a silver barked tree. It was late afternoon and I watched the merchants trading goods and the fine lady's of the day drinking tea as the sun came down...... 

Petra is truly a place of dreams, if you only visit one place in the Middle East make it Petra.

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