Petra (Part II, Jordan)

Day two of our trip to Jordan came early with a 5:30 AM wake up call. Breakfast was at 6 and by 6:45 we were meeting as a group to start our walk to one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Petra is more than 2,000 years old, although it is not known precisely when it was built. We do know that it was the capital of the Nabataean Empire from the first century BC through trade in frankincense, myrrh and spices. Petra was later annexed to the Roman Empire and continued to thrive until an earthquake in 363 AD destroyed much of the city. Petra is known as the "rose-red city" because of the color of the rock from which many of the city's structures were carved. The Nabataeans buried their dead in tombs that were cut out of the mountain sides The previous night we had walked by moonlight along a path marked with paper sacks and candles to the Treasury, which was the burial place their king and about 1-1/2 miles from the beginning of the park entrance.

Having already had a "sneak preview," we knew today was going to be an exciting adventure!

Our hotel was very near the entrance of the park which made it really convenient. In 1812, a Swiss explorer set out to ‘rediscover’ Petra. He dressed up as an Arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city. After this, Petra became increasingly known as a beautiful ancient city and began attracting visitors and continues to do so today.

Our day started early because the temperature was predicted to be very high. We were divided into two groups and each had a Jordanian guide. We were anxious to see in daylight what we never saw on our night walk to the Treasury.

From the time of the Nebataeans through to the present day, camels, horses, donkeys and mules have worked in Petra and have been run by Bedouins. Camels used to be the backbone of merchant trade as caravans moved across the desert carrying goods. However, today when visitors come to Petra, animals and carts are available for hire. The animals work very hard and for many hours each day and all must be registered if they are going to be hired for weary tourists.

As we walked along, we were approached over and over again by young boys offering us rides on their donkeys or horses. They try to tell you that your horse or donkey ride is free and included in the price of your park entrance fee which is just a "come-on" to get your business. Nothing is free and if you fall for this and ride an animal for transport, the workers are relentless and won't leave your side until you pay them money for the ride which is usually about $25 depending upon the distance. We took American money but had some Jordanian dinar on hand. In American money, the exchange rate of American is $1.47 to buy one Dinar so we preferred carrying five and one dollar American bills.

Young boys were running the donkeys but we were advised not to ride them or the horses.

Near the entrance of the park, we saw some uniquely shaped monuments on the right-hand side. Those are Djinn Blocks and more than two dozen can be found throughout the park. They are squared monuments cut from the rock and the first sculpture art we saw. The Bedouins believed that evil spirits were housed within them but the blocks were probably built to bury their dead. It is presumed that the buildings date back from the first century B.C. and therefore might be the oldest tombs of Petra.

One of many caves where Bedouins used to live or bury their dead. As we got further into the park, we saw intricate tombs that were cut out of the mountain sides. The city also had temples, a theater and following the Roman annexation and later the Byzantine influence, a colonnaded street and churches were built. We came to what is called the Bab Al Siq, otherwise known as the gateway to the Siq. Notice the massive and squared Djinn blocks. Here we have the Obelisk Tomb which was carved by the Nabataens in the first century AD. Above the tomb are four pyramids and a niche with a statue carved in bas-relief. It is a symbolic representation of five people buried there. On the lowest level is the triclinium, otherwise what we would call a banquet hall.

Because it was quite early in the morning, the light was not the best.

We were fascinated by the distinctive layers in the rocks and wished our buddy, Starr Curtis, could have been with us. He would have explained every layer of sediment in great detail.

The walk to the Treasury was flat and not difficult at all but some tourists didn't want to take the time so they chose to hire a carriage for a ride. The cost is about $25. The walk gets harder if you choose to go off the trail and walk to various monuments along. They can only be approached by lots of steps and some which are very steep.

The days are long for the Bedouins who work in the park. They come by 8 AM and stay until at least 7 PM in the evening. As the day progressed, it became much warmer. We were advised to wear hats and sun block because there is no shade!

This young boy could not have been any more than 5 years of age and should have been at home or school yet he sat there all day hoping to sell some of his rocks. It made me sad and I wondered what future he might have in this world? Rules of the park state that we are not supposed to buy anything from children or ride animals they provide because it encourages child labor. Also, their animals are not registered and people have been injured when they get out of control.

Photo: Muslim Bedouin.

This is a worship station and the niche contains a pillar said to represent the Nabataeans' chief god, Dushara. Nebataeans were pagans and had many stone Gods which they worshiped.

Another niche for a pagan god where they would burn incense.

This narrow gorge is called the Siq and was the result from the natural splitting of the mountain. The road is paved and has been for centuries.

On each side are carved water channels or what would be called aqua ducts for the collection of water. The Nabataens were masters of hydrological engineering.

They built a damn to divert the flash floods of the Wadi along with a tunnel which was about 300 feet long, specifically cut into the rock just for the purpose of diverting the water which was stored in cisterns.

Moses, our guide, pointed out another pagan god.

Moses nicknamed this rock, "Nimo."

Photo: When you look at the "Nimo" rock from a distance, it takes on a different perspective and becomes an elephant.

Photo: More caves in the mountain with steps leading up to tombs.
  This reminded us places in southern Utah, USA.

Photo: "Want a ride? I make it cheap!"

The Siq opens up onto Petra's most magnificent facade known as the Treasury.

Look closely and you'll see the Treasury in the distance between the crevice of the rocks.

Photo: The Treasury!! It was only about 8 AM and we were glad to get there so we could ride some camels.

The Treasury is the most magnificent of all the facades and rises 130' upward. It's hard to believe that when it was carved, they started from the top down. It is intricately decorated with decorative bands, figures, Corinithian capitals and is crowned by a funerary urn, which according to legend conceals a pharaoh's treasure. The Treasury is also believed to be the mausoleum of the Nabataean King, Aretas IV (9 BC - 40 AD). It's mind boggling to see perfectly straight columns topped with a concave moulding, otherwise called a cavetto.

I thought this camel was really cute so I paid $5.00 for a ride in front of the Treasury. Surprisingly, the ride was quite comfortable but you need to hang on when the camel stands up. The poor camels were paraded around for photos like slaves for their owners. I wonder what they would say if they could talk? I do know if you get too close, they will spit at you!

Photo: One more thing crossed off my bucket list!

I couldn't resist posting this photo of Keri, our daughter, from 1998 when she was a student at the Jerusalem Center.

Photo: "Hang on, Myrtle, this ain't no turtle!!"

Photo: "Look, Mom, no hands!"

The Royal Tombs was another unexpected sight. There are four adjoining facades and each has a name and are located at the end of the central route through what used to be the city. Byzantine inscriptions indicate that the hall was once a royal tomb but was converted into a church in 447 AD. The upper part has had some serious erosion and was not as well preserved as the Treasury.

This is the Theater which was carved into the side of the mountain at the foot of the High Place of Sacrifice. The theater consists of three sections of seating separated by passageways. Stairways ascend the auditorium which can accommodate 4,000 people. The back wall of the stage was rebuilt by the Romans when they later occupied Petra.

This was a temple complex. Only priests were allowed inside the temple complex. The height of the columns with the entablature is estimated to be 60' in height. Because of the elaborate floral designs in limestone with acanthus leaves, it is believed this sanctuary was constructed around the end of the 1st century.

This was the colonnaded street and created by the Habataeans but was later refurbished by the Romans. It would have been one of the principal shopping streets in Petra.

We are now headed to the Monastery which is 880 steps up the side of the mountain to the very top. Garth is a billy goat and nothing stops him, but my knee and foot were killing me so I decided to stop and rest.

I walked a little higher and then decided to wait for Garth to return. I found a shady spot by a big rock when three Bedouin women beckoned me to come sit with them by their tent. They had a table of items for sale and I decided, why not? They were all sitting on the ground while one was making black tea with mint leaves. The youngest gave me a little stool to sit on and then offered me a cup of tea but I said, "No, thank you!" Several more times they offered me tea until I said I don't drink tea because I am Mormon. The youngest of the three said she had heard of Mormons and spoke very good English. I felt very comfortable being with them and we began some friendly conversation. I said, "Tell me about your life so I can tell my family about you in America." Rosa said she was 29, was married at age 14, had her first child at 15 and was 5 months pregnant with her 7th child. She said her husband works the animals in the park and her children were in school learning English and Arabic. She showed me a photo of her husband and I thought I had recognized him on the trail. She also said she was born in a cave and also three of her children but now she goes to a hospital. However, King Hussein made a decree that no more than 25 families could live in one cave and moved the Bedouins of Petra to a housing area where dwellings were provided. She said if I would come back the next day she would take me to see her cave. I would have given anything to have done that but we were leaving the next day.

As I sat in the shade wishing I could have a cold drink, I asked Rosa if she felt as warm as I was. She replied that she feels cooler when she wears her hijab and often pulls it over her face. It was hard for me to imagine how she could be dressed from head to toe in a long black coat and hijab and not feel suffocated. She said she loves wearing it and chose to do so at age 7. I asked about her hair and surprisingly she slipped off her hijab and proudly showed me her hair which fell to her waist. I asked if she wears long clothing in her home and she smiled and said, "At home I wear shorts because my husband likes to see my body." She was so warm and friendly but looked much, much older. We talked about so many things and the next hour+ passed much too quickly. As I looked at the things she was selling, a stone carved bird caught my eye which I purchased. This is a photo.

Rosa said it would bring me good luck because there is a baby bird inside, Before I left, she also wrapped my head in a hijab and took a photo of me. She said I looker prettier because it framed my face and then took a photo of me. She and the other two women were also Muslim. She explained that Bedouin Muslims believe in peace, charity and helping others and that is their purpose in life. Wow! This was an experience I will never forget. As I was leaving, Rosa was slathering sun block all over her face and asked me if it was good kind. I looked at the label marked "50" and said, "Yes! Her face looked leathery from the sun. The older woman who said she was 57 looked at least 80. I bid them goodbye and if we had been back the next day, I would have love to visit them again because she said they are there 7 days each week from 8 AM to 7 PM. Never in my lifetime will I ever have another opportunity like that.

Many of the JC students passed by as I waited with the ladies and one by one, she offered them tea to refresh them and I realized that was her way of reaching out to others. In the meantime, the oldest lady was making soup for people. She had nothing to wash her hands with nor to clean the vegetables which she was cutting directly on the ground. However, she put the potatoes, onion and green pepper into a boiling pot of water.

Photo: In the meantime, Garth had reached the top of the mountain and is standing in front of the Monastery. It is one of the largest monuments in Petra and dates back to the early second century AD, during the reign of King Rabel II. The Monastery was modeled after the Treasury. This was used as a biclinium for the religious meetings. Nebataeans worshiped many deities headed by a chief god. These gods were worshiped through the burning of incense, offerings, and animal sacrifices at open air altars or in temples. The hall was later used as a Christian chapel and therefore crosses were carved in the rear wall which is how the structure got its name.

I can just imagine what it must have been like to have been in an ancient procession with colorful priests, musical instruments (bamboo or wooden flutes and skin head drums) and animals laden with wood to burn for the burnt offering. We do know that the burning of incense was part of the ancient form of worship. This high place has a large pool where rain water was collected and available for the priests.

There were two alters in a rectangular courtyard with benches. The main alter was for the burnt sacrifice and contained several small steps and a niche where the fire could have been used. Into each alter were wash basins. There was a sacrificial platform which had a carved circular basin to receive the blood of sacrificed animals and a water basin for purification. Fluid from the basins appeared to run outside of the altars and then down the mountain.

The steps are steep and it looked more treacherous to ride a donkey down!
  This was the trail leading back after the 800+ steps up to the Monastery. Some parts of the trail were flat which were always a welcoming sight!

This is a little Bedouin lady who sat all day long hoping to sell some of her trinkets. We stopped and bought another stone carved bird.

I think this camel needs some TLC and a good dentist!

Students coming out of the only restaurant in the park.

Janna and Jeanna finding a little shade. It was lunch time and we were famished and there is one very nice restaurant in the park. An area was reserved just for the students and plates of different types of food was brought to each table.

After a wonderful lunch with the students and a chance to relax, we were headed out to see more sites. We had to meet our bus at 3 PM and it was about 3 miles back to the bus. It was much harder walking back because it was so hot!

Photo: Sand bottles for sale.

Once again we passed the Royal Tombs and had to pinch ourselves to realize we had spent the day walking in the footsteps of people who lived so long ago.

Photo: One more look at the Treasury before we return to the entrance of the park. It was a wonderful day and despite that we felt gritty from head to toe, we are truly "living the life" as one daughter commented recently. How fortunate we are to have such marvelous opportunities to travel and to learn. But . . . we are also realizing it would be a whole lot easier if we were 50 years younger. At the end of the day at dinner, our director said his pedometer recorded over 31,000 steps and 64 flights of stairs!! Just thinking about it makes me want to take a nap.