Petra Part Two

[onlymark]

In the past I posted a report about a visit to Petra, in Jordan. If you want to see it, it is here –

anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=jordan&action=display&thread=5906


I did mention that due to the sheer size of the place I was unable to do justice to all of it.
Well............... I’ve failed yet again. My only excuse is that I had the mother-in-law with me, with a bad foot, so it was impossible to get much further than I did before. But I did manage a little more. The place I need yet to get to is called the Monastery which I have visited in the past but not in recent years.
Just to prove it, here is a photo of me (honest, it is) on top of the Monastery tomb roof in 1995 –




Anyway, on the previous thread is a lot of information that can be read and digested that may be relevant to this continuation, but there is no point in repeating it all here.
Suffice to say that the entrance, down the canyon called the Siq, is unchanged, but a couple of views of the rocks are worth posting –










Then there is the classic view of a tomb called the Treasury that peeks at you as you get to the end –

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There are a few more views of different things of interest until I get to the part not covered before –

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Then we start coming to what is collectively called The Royal Tombs.
This one is the Urn Tomb. This tomb is built high on the mountain side, and requires climbing up a number of flights of stairs. It has been suggested that this is the tomb of Nabataean King Malchus II who died in 70 AD. On the other hand it has been proposed that this is the tomb of Aretas IV.
The main chamber is very large and inside are three asps, constructed when the tomb was converted into a church.






The Corinthian Tomb comes next. It is very worn, but it is very ornate and similar to the Treasury –






The Palace Tomb, next, is very wide, and has three distinct stories in it's facade. Supposedly, it is similar to a Roman palace design. In front of the tomb is a large stage and in front of this a large courtyard –

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A little walk around the site from here elicits a number of views. There may be a bit of repetition with the previous thread but it’s worth it for getting an idea of the sheer scale of the place –

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We start skirting the old Roman area, a quick view of the road we’ll walk along –






But I’ve walked quite a few kilometres as it is, and clambered over plenty of rocks, so a quick stop for a coffee and a fresh orange or lemon juice –




And pit stop –




Everywhere is riddled with tombs –

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Coming to the lowest point there is a spring where some trees have survived the harsh summers –




And a restaurant built into the rock face, I think this is the one run by one of the major hotels in the nearby town, but I’m not sure, never went in. Though the town is commonly known at Petra it is actually called Wadi Musa. Musa being a variation on the name Moses – this town is where reputedly Moses, lead his people towards the promised land, but ran out of water. He struck the ground with his staff and a spring broke forth. Well, more or less anyway. Just so you know.




So, we turn back towards where we started out, initially to the beginning (or maybe the end) of the Roman road. We pass on our right a rather large building –




This is the Qasr al-Bint or Qasr Bint Far’un – the Pharaoh’s Daughter. One of the words brought into the English language (of which there are many, aren’t there?) is a slang word – bint. In Arabic is usually means daughter or girl and has virtually the same meaning in slang in areas of the UK.
This is the oldest temple complex in Petra and was built somewhere between 25BC and 25AD.
The legend is that the same Pharaoh who is supposed to have hidden his treasure in the urn of the Treasury promised the daughter of his hand in marriage for whoever could develop a system to bring water to the palace. Whether that happened is lost in time, but several water channels have been found nearby. It is 23m high and a typical Hellenistic temple where only priests could enter the inside.
It is believed the temple was dedicated to the main Nabatean god, Dushara –

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We start towards the Roman road –








We refuse the offer of a donkey ride for the umpteenth time –




We wonder if we can just have a minute like these lads –




But no, we must press on. Through the entrance/exit gate –

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And on. You can see the Royal Tombs in the distance –




A quick look back the way we’ve just come –




Pass some of the locals –








Back towards the tombs we passed earlier –

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Shall we call for more refreshment? –




Or probably best if we call back at the hotel and have a shower and a lie down, just like this bloke would love to do –




Later, but don’t quite yet know when, will be a small report on a lesser known and smaller (a hell of a lot smaller) area nearby.
Before I leave Jordan I’m determined to finish off Petra. Gawd knows when though.

[mossie]

A lot of hot dusty walking, thanks for letting us see without the effort.
That first view of the Treasury after walking through the Siq is a real travel experience.
I understand "bint" to mean daughter or young woman, but also less flatteringly, young female camel.

[bixaorellana]

What amazingly beautiful ruins! Really, it looks like something in a movie, something I would have dismissed as being too perfect -- but there it is! How much area do you think you covered in making this part of the report? It must have been a great deal of, well, what Mossie said.

[bjd]

All the photos of Petra I had ever seen only showed the striped, narrow rock pass with the temple with columns appearing. I had never realized that it was so big. Nor that it was associated with Roman ruins as well.

How far is Petra from Amman?

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bixa, imagine walking, though at a slow pace, for several hours. Just to get from the start to the end of the Siq (the canyon) where the Treasury is at least a couple of kilometres or more. Bear also in mind it is downhill and must be negotiated coming back. Then walking around the main area without going off along some of the steps and paths can take at least another couple of hours and will be longer if you start to go to the tombs/temples rather than just taking a few photos from afar.
A short day to get a feel for the place would necessitate a walk of maybe eight to ten km all in.

bjd, how far is Petra from Amman? In a car?
There are three main routes that go north/south in Jordan, the Desert Highway, the Dead Sea Highway and the Kings Highway. All will take you eventually to Petra.
The Desert Highway is the shortest and least appealing for scenery and takes about 4 hours or so.
The Dead Sea Highway is better but a little slower, goes down to the Dead Sea and cuts along the Jordan Valley (part of the Great Rift Valley before cutting inland) maybe an hour or so more.
The Kings Highway is the most scenic but goes through many towns and villages, but can be quite spectacular especially as it passes through three major valleys/wadis. This can take 7 hours plus, plus time spent looking at Karak Castle and Shobak Castle which are on the way. Never mind a stop at Madaba or Dana Nature Reserve.

[Deleted]

The photos taken from far away really do give a much better idea of how big all of this is. Usually when Petra is shown, it is just one or two close ups of the things we've already seen in reports dozens of time -- this is much more useful, and your reports are always a pleasure to read.

[onlymark]

Ta muchly.

[fumobici]

Words fail again. Some touristy places are there on pure merit and I reckon this qualifies. Thanks Mark for sharing.

[mich64]

Simply amazing. Are you allowed to enter any of the tombs or are they sacred ground or protected grounds? I have very little knowledge of this part of the world so this really intrigued me.

[onlymark]

Hi Mich,
There are only a handful that you can't enter. These tend to be the main ones like the Treasury that would soon suffer from all the tourists. In saying that, when I first went there and for several years afterwards it was all open. Some are closed due to being unsafe but that is rare. However, going inside is not as exciting as you'd expect. Usually the inside is no more than a square unadorned room cut out of the rock. Impressive in itself but that's why most photos feature the external rather than the internal.

[onlymark]

fumobici, I am always impressed when I go there. Imagine walking into the main area, looking ahead a kilometer or two, looking around and seeing that there are hundreds of holes in the rock faces you can visit, plus all the Roman and Crusader stuff.
It's a bit like the excitement my wife feels the first time we enter a very large shopping mall.

[htmb]

Fascinating report and exquisite photos, Mark. A real feast for the eyes, but hard for my brain to totally comprehend. I am in awe!

[lugg]

Thank you Mark, I really enjoyed reading about your walk and seeing your photos . Now, understanding the size of the place, the variety and the beauty , I can understand why a colleague has been several times

What was the temperature when you were there , the photos suggest hot but the clothing suggests otherwise?

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It was no more than 14 or 15 degrees, which when in the sun was quite pleasant. In fact going up and down the steps etc made you just start to break out in a sweat. However, when in the shade, like walking down the Siq, it got quite cool, especially as there was a bit of wind, but not too powerful, just something to make you shiver a little. I wore a fleece and a T shirt and spent most of the time just in the T shirt, but in the shade it was cool.
It was ideal weather but at this time of year, especially on a tight time frame, there's obviously no guarantee - today is rainy, overcast and just 8 degrees in Amman.

htmb, glad you feel it is impressive - it is in real life.

[Deleted]

14° is more than enough when you are exerting yourself. I can break into a sweat at 10° walking around Paris.