By the time we arrived at the site, it was beginning to lift...
Not long after we started out, the group split up into two groups: the fast group and the slow group. And John hitched a ride to the Treasury...
The name Petra means "rock" in Greek. The site covers 96 square miles and visitors have almost unlimited access to the area.
In Biblical times, Petra was believed to have been called Sela and was home to the Edomites, where Esau settled after being cheated out of his birthright by his brother, Jacob.
Before long, even the fast group broke up.
The Siq is the main entrance to the city. Some of the walls are nearly 650 feet tall and it twists and turns for nearly a mile...
It is believed this channel was used to bring water from Ain Musa
(the Spring of Moses) 5 miles away!
dams were made to protect the gorge from flash floods
The Siq opens up to a the site of the Kazneh, the most iconic structure in Petra, also known as the Treasury.
From the 13th century until 1812, the city of Petra was forgotten and was protected by Bedouins. A young Swiss explorer, Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, had read about a fantastic city in the middle of the desert in Greek and Roman stories. Dressed as an Arab pilgrim, he tricked guides into leading him into the hidden city.
The Treasury got its name from the legend that Egyptian pharaohs hid their treasure in the urn at the top. They believe the carvings on the sides of the facade were carved as footholds for thieves who found the urn to be solid rock. The Treasury is twice the height of the carvings at Mt. Rushmore!
The courtyard was a bustling place, full of tourists and locals with their animals and goods...
You don't realize how huge everything is until you notice the
donkey tied up near the doorway
All around there are tombs carved into the cliffs and hillsides. At one time it was believed that Petra was simply a necropolis, or a city of the dead.
the Street of Facades
This step design is very typical in Petra and is inspired by
Assyria and Mesopotamia
The "free-roaming" access at Petra is what makes it so exciting. So as soon as Chris and I found a staircase/trail leading up into the mountains, we just had to follow it for a bit...
The Royal Tombs in the distance
the steps didn't slow down the donkeys one bit
the people are so tiny in the distance
Eventually we realized the trail would never end, so we headed back to the main road and the 6000 seat theater...
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