I was lucky enough to be in Jordan earlier this month and following on from such highlights as the Dead Sea, Madaba with its historic mosaic maps and wonderful Jerash, we enjoyed a day exploring Petra. Having been there before on a few occasions I knew this by itself would be fantastic however this time we did it differently – via the back door.
Instead of approaching the Petra site via the narrow Siq and Treasury we were brought in by 4×4 vehicles to the Jordan Trail route, here following an ancient Nabatean path that links Little Petra and Petra. This path, a mixture of steps, ledges and rough track, hugs the edge of the Petra massif winding it’s way in a goat-like fashion towards the site itself. Ascending and descending in equal measure the views were spectacular and the trail deserted save for a tiny Bedouin tea stall and group of local workers and their donkeys helping to fix the path in a particularly steep section.
We saw no other visitors until dramatically, in the distance, we could make out the triumphal crown on top of the Ad Deir or ‘Monastery’ and shortly we emerged out onto the wide hidden plateau in front of this magnificent structure.
Suddenly we had arrived into the main site itself and the awesome rock cut structures looked magnificent. Continuing on down into the main basin, via the Lion Triclinium and past numerous elaborately carved caves suspended up the cliff faces, we arrived into the heart of the ancient city – now populated by countless camels and donkeys. Visitor numbers are well down but when you’ve seen few others for a couple of hours it looked busy!
Cutting across the main Roman colonnaded street our next challenge was the climb up the High Place of Sacrifice. Steep steps with little shade and narrow paths meant a heightened sense of triumph when we emerged on the summit to see the basin spread out below and the late autumn sun showing the surrounding mountains in all their glory.
Dropping down into the canyon we finally reached the theatre and then the Al Khazneh or ‘Treasury’ the spectacular and best known monument. The slow uphill walk along the narrow siq completed the visit where weary legs were starting to feel the 16 km and 8 hours of walking.
What a brilliant day we had and what a glorious place Petra is. In all directions the views are magnificent and the light magical. Arriving via either the front or back doors you cannot fail to be impressed.
Visitor numbers are well down in Jordan at the moment so it would be an excellent time to visit. There are so many highlights throughout the country and it’s safe and incredibly welcoming. Call us to talk about Jordan holidays. Cultural, trekking, wildlife, family or biblical – there is something for everyone.
by TMS