If you have ever seen Indiana Jones, you’ve seen Petra. Located in Southern Jordan, Petra is known as one of the seven wonders of the world. Its history dates back to as early as 7000 BC, settled by the Nabateans around 3000 BC. Just a thousand years later it was developed as the main trading hub in the region–positioned perfectly near the incense trade routes. The mountainous terrain in and around Petra provided the perfect place for the Nabateans to build their wealth, allowing them to build temples and tombs into the stone, collect rainwater, and have bountiful agriculture. Its annexation to the Roman Empire and an earthquake in 363 AD led to the majority of its destruction, ultimately abandoned, and left in the hands of the local Bedouin community.
In 1812 Johannes Burckhardt dressed up as an Arab and tricked a local Bedouin guide to take him to Petra. Since this ‘rediscovery’, Petra became increasingly known around the world.
In 1985 it was deemed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and voted one of the 7 World Wonders in 2007. Today it is a symbol of Jordan and the most popular tourist attraction in the nation, visited by over a million foreigners annually.
Today Petra consists of over 60 square kilometers of siqs, trails, tombs, temples, theatres, and caves. There’s a lot to cover, but the pictures I snapped while there do a pretty good job of doing it justice. Let’s dive in!
To reach the main tombs of Petra, including the Treasury, you must first walk through a 1.2km long natural gorge, known as a siq. This siq was made through the natural splitting of the mountain and serves as a dramatic (and chilly!) entryway to Petra. Water channels run along both sides and you walk along the ancient paved road. The first peek at the main attraction of Petra, the Treasury, after a long walk through the siq. We went early in the morning, and the Treasury was beautifully lit up by the morning sun. Quite literally glowing.
The Treasury–the quintessential attraction of Petra. It is 40 meters high and meticulously adorned with Corinthian figures and friezes. Archaeologists recently discovered a graveyard underneath it, but believe its two main floors were used as a temple and to store important documents.
This photo was taken 5 hours later once the sun had fallen behind it, now lit up in bright red. Petra is often known as the rose-red city for its vibrant red hues.
The camels at Petra and their Bedouin caretakers ought to be considered the 8th World Wonder. The moment you step out from the siq, you will be approached by many small vendors inviting you to take a ride on their beautifully decorated camels. “Only 10 JD to the monastery!” they will yell, usually followed by a “But for you, I’ll make it 8.” If you’re blonde like I am, you will also likely get a “You dropped something–your smile” followed by a wink and another invitation on their camel.
It’s not just older men tending to the camel and donkey rides. About half of the vendors were young boys under the age of 15. “For 1 JD I will take you to the best view” or “For 2 JD I will take a special picture for you” are common phrases instinctually said by the young boys. This young boy pulled the camel towards our big group and waited for our tour guide to stop talking so he could invite us for a ride. You’ll notice behind him are more tombs and structures carved into the mountain.
While we didn’t ride any animals at Petra, the camels were beautiful, and so much fun to look at.
Donkeys are common in Petra, as well as horses.
Across Petra you’ll find small vendors inviting you to take a look at their souvenirs. It’s a full-time job saying “La shukran,” which means “No, thank you” in Arabic, every 30 seconds. I did however say “Aywa,” or “yes”, once when I bought a traditional Jordanian keffiyeh. These scarves are square and made of cotton, worn predominantly by Palestinians and Jordanians, particularly males. A red keffiyeh, like mine, is indicative of Jordanian history, whereas a black and white scarf is indicative of the Palestinian fight and ongoing struggle. As it turns out, they are also extremely functional, preventing sunburn and allowing for a perfect face covering when the sand blows.
I don’t know that I would’ve made it the 6.4 kilometers, 14,000 steps, and 5.5 hours at Petra if it hadn’t been for my awesome program group. Our fearless leader and SIT program assistant, Razan, is in the middle, and guided us through a wonderful tour of the site.
After spending lots of time in the sun, I was ecstatic to find my way back into the breezy siq after a long day exploring Petra.
