A Visit To Ancient Petra, Jordan

  One of the main tourist attractions in Jordan is the ancient city of Petra, and it is not the first our vist there. The city, which was abandoned, used to be a hub in the ancient trade routes. It has now been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is a valuable tourist spot. The territory of the city is wide and within one day one can see very many interesting spots. It is advisable to make an early booking before travelling.

The way to Petra is plain with just a few simple premises.

But at the Sik canyon which is the main entrance to the city centre, one gets to see the grandeur and solidity of the sorrounding. 

The length of the canyon is 1 kilometer and has a height of 90 meters. Taxi service is provided by horses and camels which can be found everywhere along the canyon. It is quite an experience to take this part of the visit on foot because one might miss the breathtaking aspects under the fast moving visors.

Opposite the exit of the canyon stands  the first impressive building - the El-Hazna or the "pharaoh's treasury" . To date it is not clear by whom or to whom this building was made. It has a width of 30 meters and a height of 40 meters.Clearly this is not only the work of a chisel! The function of the building to date is also not clear- whether it was a temple or masoleum or even a treasury as the name suggests.

Camels in front of the treasury are a common site. Even though they are not also included in the UNESCO heritage sites, they are an integral part of the entourage. They can be seen at this spot at any given time of the day.

Just like the Al-Hazna, all the buildings are carved into the rock and are composed of either one or two rooms. The rooms near the exit are tidy and orderly but those ones adjacent to them are dark and are littered with garbage and sometimes excrement.

Along one of the wide streets is an amphitheatre carved into rock and ruins of buildings with columns that were left by the Romans.

Actually, all that remains carved in the rock is mostly ruins but their beauty cannot be evaluated.

After the street with columns begins a footpath that leads up the mountains to the monastery of Deir El. The walk to the monastery takes an hour. Even though the trail is not well equipped, it is fairly wide and comfortable.

Along the tourist path are Bedouins selling beads, trinkets and offering free tea. Even though the tea is free, what civilized man cannot donate a dime for a tea party? Any donation brings profit anyway.

Also along the path are donkeys for those who get tired on the way. But for the ride, one must pay.

The rise suddenly ends up in a plain and the rock into which the monastery is cut out from can be seen. With a height -45 meters and 50 meters width, the monastery is not as artistic and proportional as the treasury. All in all, its just as impressive.

The entrance to the monastery is several times the height of an average person. One is left to wonder whether giants used to live here.

A five minutes walk away from the monastery opens up to a panorama comprising of the sorrounding desert and rocky landscape. This panorama is known as the "view from the edge of the earth". 

The views are fascinating, one can take hours staring at them. This is a real haven for photoshooters.

via skvadim