Petra

(First published in Small World Ezine on 22 January 2002)

Today's article is from our Jan 22nd's issue. Then 

we had about 30 subscribers. It is one of my favourite 

destinations, and I want to share it with our new 

subscribers today... Petra -- the Hidden Treasure.

Remember the scene? It appeared in lots of movies 

including  "Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade"... 

Steven Spielberg demonstrated it as the place the 

Holy Grail was hidden.

 

In 1900 an unknown writer wrote "between the narrow open of 
the rocks we saw the most beautiful sight I have ever seen; a 
temple cut out of solid rock, the charming facade supported 
on Corinthian columns . . . and carved with groups of figures 
almost as fresh as when the chisel left them."

"Petra" (Greek for "rock") is an ancient city stood in the 
narrow valley of Wadi Rum (the valley of the moon) in the
desert just outside the southern vacation beach town of Aqaba 
in Jordan.

This place was, by the Nabateans during the late 7th to early 
6th Century B.C., used as a trade post for caravan merchants 
who travelled the silk road to exchange goods (silk from 
China, spice/wild animal from India, brassware/carpets from 
Persia).

The three things that contributed to the success of this 
desert shelter was the very narrow entrance to the valley 
which protected the place from invaders, the promise Roman 
Emperor made to leave the place alone, and, the most 
important resource the city provided, water.

It happened that the Nabateans were excellent hydrological
engineers. They constructed an intricate matrix of dam,
cisterns and clay pipes to not only supply the city with 
water, but also to provide the city with protection from the 
floods which are common during the rainy season ( November to 
April in Jordan). 

   

Petra was included into the Roman empire after the death of 
the king who had made the peace agreement with the Roman 
emperor. The Roman simply cut the water pipes then the 
people surrendered. They stayed under the Roman for 200
years. You can see Roman influences on the pillars in the 
picture.

Petra remained a well-known post until the trade community
shifted to Aqaba, and that's when it declined. And that's 
when the Byzentines, Persians, Egyptians, Crusaders and the
Ottomans marched in one at a time. That's why the place's
with Pompei-styled rock-cut, mosaics, carved, paints, and 
all kind of ancient architecture.

 

After the Ottoman, it was technically "lost", then guarded
by the desert's Bedouins (the Gypsies of the desert) who were 
convinced there must be some kind of treasure hidden 
somewhere inside. The place remained a forbidden secret 
treasure house until a Swissman named Johann Ludwig Burckhart 
disguised himself as a Bedouin and smuggled himself into the 
ancient city in 1812, and Petra's wonders were known to the 
world at large once more. 

Now it's one of Jordan's most popular tourist attraction. 
The city-centre of Petra is located within the modern day 
Governorate of Ma'an (1996 population of governorate 85.300)
of the constitutional monarchy Jordan. It is 260 km SSW from 
the capital of Amman and 180 km NE of the port city of Aqaba. 
Hidden within a fissure in the mountainous desert of Wadi Rum 
located at 30 20' N, 035 26E the protected area of the park 
is 264 sq.km. within the greater conservation area of 
900-1000 sq.km. which comprises Petra National Park. 

When you arrive at the park, you'll have to ride on a horse
through the narrow passage of the valley until the bottom,
which is the supposed treasure house.
      
It's a wonderful view when you are approaching because the
passage is full of curves and you'll never see it until 
you're very close. Everybody goes "VOW". I assure you.


Been there ;-)

 

 

More:

Jordan is a very peaceful middle-eastern country. People are
nice and friendly. Despite the poverty (no oil), there are no 
begging attacks against tourists. The King and Jordanian
government take good care of the people and they have nothing 
to complain.

The average temperature in Amman ranges from 8.1 degrees 
Celsius (46.6 Fahrenheit) in January to 25.1 degrees (77.2 
Fahrenheit) in July" (7). According to the Ministry of 
Antiquities, the highest point in the Petra National Park is 
935m above sea level.

Petra was added to the list of World Heritage Sites during 
the Ninth Session of the UN Committee UNESCO in 1985 with the 
great efforts of the late King Hussein of Jordan and Her 
Majesty Queen Noor (who was graduated from Princeton with 
a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning).